Entire police team sacked for playing poker and backgammon and watching TV while on duty
- Police officers were caught relaxing on duty
- Seven resigned or were dismissed from the Mottingham and Chislehurst North neighbourhood team
- Source said some did not even bother to change into their uniforms while at work
Under fire: Four Police Community Support Officers resigned after an undercover operation revealed the neighbourhood policing team of Mottingham and Chislehurst North were watching TV and playing poker while they were supposed to be on duty
When undercover officers hid cameras in a neighbourhood police base they were looking for evidence of serious crimes.
Instead the anti-corruption squad found their colleagues were spending their time playing cards and board games.
Now the shirkers have been axed after the extent of their taxpayer-funded time-wasting antics was revealed.
Hidden cameras and microphones revealed the safer neighbourhood team was so idle that members often did not even bother changing into their uniforms.
Investigators discovered they spent their days playing poker and backgammon in their warm and cosy office. The team, which was responsible for the Mottingham and Chislehurst North ward in Bromley, South-East London, spent hours watching TV.
One member regularly went jogging while another brought in his golf clubs so that he could spend hours polishing them.
The skivers even cut short the few street patrols they began so they could continue playing cards.
They then claimed thousands of pounds in overtime by fraudulently submitting official claims for hours they did not work. The scandal was uncovered by members of Scotland Yard’s Directorate of Professional Standards in 2010.
After lengthy misconduct proceedings a sergeant and a PC were dismissed last month after a disciplinary panel found them guilty of gross misconduct.
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A second PC and all four of the team’s Police Community Support Officers resigned before they could be punished.
Unguarded?: Chislehurst town centre, where the officers who were found playing backgammon and watching TV were supposed to be on duty
A source said: ‘It was an extraordinary state of affairs. The public will be shocked to learn how little work was actually being done by this team.’ Commander Allan Gibson, of the Metropolitan Police, said: ‘These officers let down the whole of the service with their behaviour, but more importantly they let down their local community.’
One member of the team, former PC Anna Glynn, was cleared of trying to accept speeding points on behalf of her boyfriend after she was caught up in the undercover sting.
Miss Glynn was secretly recorded discussing whether to accept the points with plasterer Lee Wilton and speaking with the speeding ticket office.
A jury acquitted her of perverting the course of justice after it was told the couple did not go through with the scam.
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