A volunteer police officer who took illegal drugs has been dismissed by Wiltshire Police.
At a gross misconduct hearing overseen by an independent legally qualified chair, special constable Owen Pugh the allegation that he had been taking ecstasy was upheld.
It was found that Pugh had consumed the controlled drug on multiple occasions between December 2019 and February 2020 whilst a serving member of the force.
As a result, Mr Pugh was dismissed without notice.
Head of Professional Standards at Wiltshire Police, Superintendent Steve Cox said: “Like the rest of the community we serve, it is totally unacceptable for any police employee to use illegal drugs.
“Our frontline officers and staff are out in our communities everyday trying to prevent the use of illegal drugs and also see first-hand the damage these substances cause.
“It is, therefore, shocking that a serving member of Wiltshire Police would think it is acceptable to take any such substance.
“Whilst we do not believe Mr Pugh took these drugs whilst on duty, his actions obviously fall well below our clear code of conduct and the set of values and behaviours that all officers, staff and volunteers are required to adhere to.
“I hope this sends a clear message that we will not tolerate this sort of behaviour from anyone and we will take robust action when we encounter it.”
