PC touched colleague inappropriately, panel finds

A police officer has been found to have touched a colleague intimately in a way that was "deliberate, unwarranted and unnecessary".

PC Ben Lane, who was based in Berkshire, touched the man inappropriately over his clothing while at work in September 2024, a panel found.

Mr Lane, who has since quit Thames Valley Police (TVP), claimed he was trying to demonstrate an alleged sexual assault he was investigating and touched his colleague on the back of his right leg.

The panel, led by TVP's assistant chief constable Dennis Murray, said that was "highly implausible".

The panel heard the victim, referred to in the proceedings as Officer A, gave a "very comprehensive account" of what happened, including his "surprise and shock".

Mr Murray said the attack "could be classed as criminal in nature" and amounted to a "sexual assault on police premises".

Mr Lane, who did not attend Wednesday's hearing at TVP's headquarters in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, said in a statement that he used 10% of the possible pressure when he touched the man.

But Officer A scored the pain inflicted on him at four or five out of 10.

The panel found that Mr Lane had committed gross misconduct and that he would have been sacked had he not already quit.

He will be added to the College of Policing's barred list.

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