Avon and Somerset Police has sacked a police officer for sending what it claims were degrading tweets describing fellow officers as "scum" via the @TheBritishCop Twitter account.
Our attention was drawn to inappropriate and offensive comments being made on social media between March and October last year, which were suspected to have been posted by a serving police officer. Following an internal investigation, a misconduct hearing was held. As a result on Tuesday, the officer was dismissed. We actively encourage staff to use our official Twitter and Facebook accounts to inform and engage with their local communities. We expect all employees who use social media – whether in work or away from work - to adhere to the new College of Policing's Code of Ethics, which aims to ensure staff maintain integrity and the highest standards of behaviour.
My reaction is simply disbelief. @TheBritishCop on Twitter has allowed them to hang me out to dry. Whoever they are can do what they like and get away with it, because I am their scapegoat.I am, and always have been, 100 per cent innocent of this garbage and tried to conduct myself with dignity through the whole process.
The tweets were highly critical of the force's treatment of its officers, accusing it of "treating hard-working staff like garbage".
Ryan claims, however, that he was in a different place to the location some of the tweets were sent from. For example, he claims to have never been to Exeter - the place from which this tweet was sent.
How police deal with their officers' use of social media is a growing problem. In February West Midlands Police suspended (and quickly reinstated) the @MentalHealthCop account.
