A Hounslow police officer who tried to avoid paying a littering fine by giving false information has been handed a written warning.
Trainee Detective Constable Emma Llewellyn was issued with an on-the-spot fine after being caught dropping a cigarette in Swansea in 2014, while off duty.
She contested the fine, unsuccessfully, giving inaccurate information about the circumstances in a letter to Swansea Environmental Department.
She wrongly stated in her letter that the enforcement officer who issued the fine had not been wearing ID and had acted in a threatening manner - assertions which were disproved by video evidence.
However, she reportedly claimed she had not deliberately attempted to mislead the local authority, arguing that the inaccuracies were down to an honest failure to correctly recall details of the incident.
Failures amounted to misconduct
A misconduct hearing conducted by the Metropolitan Police Service found her failures amounted to misconduct but did not constitute gross misconduct.
A panel concluded, following a three-day hearing which finished on August 12, that a written warning was the most suitable punishment.
Members of the panel found that she had dropped the cigarette and later appealed the fine.
By sending the letter of appeal, they ruled, she had "brought discredit to your role as a police officer and to the Metropolitan Police Service".
However, they found allegations that she had acted dishonestly in composing the letter were not proven.
