Police officer who stole from Manchester Piccadilly Sainsbury's guilty of gross misconduct

A police officer who stole items from Sainsbury's inside Manchester Piccadilly station has been found guilty of gross misconduct.

PC Sam Rigby was spotted on CCTV grabbing items from the shelves and putting them in his pockets. He then left the shop without paying.

The former rural community beat manager for Lancashire Police in Skelmersdale was arrested on suspicion of theft and was interviewed by the force's Professional Standards Department on allegations of misconduct.

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Chief Constable Chris Rowley said he was satisfied the officers actions on February 2, 2022, amounted to gross misconduct, LancsLive reports. He said the officer would have been dismissed from duty but PC Rigby handed in his notice before the misconduct hearing took place.

During a hearing held at Ormskirk police station on Tuesday August 2, Lisa Fletcher, head of legal services and professional standards for the Appropriate Authority (Lancashire Constabulary) outlined the case against the officer. She said: "It is important to remember that the purpose of these proceedings are to protect public confidence and reputation.

"Operational dishonesty affects all those factors."

She said officers make a commitment to act with honesty and integrity at all times. "PC Rigby was acting in a clearly dishonest manner", she said. "This demonstrates a clear disregard for the obligation of integrity placed in him.

"He knew it was wrong, and that the general public would find it wrong."

Ms Fletcher added the matters amounted to 'gross misconduct and to a breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour of Honesty and Integrity and Discreditable Conduct'.

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