South Yorkshire Police officer could lose job after allegedly jetting off on holiday while on sick leave

A South Yorkshire Police officer faces losing her job, after flying out of the country on holiday having called in sick and booking study leave to accommodate the time away from work.

Police Constable Natasha Cole is set to answer to the allegation during a misconduct hearing scheduled to take place on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.

Documents published by South Yorkshire Police, giving notice of the misconduct hearing, state: "It is alleged that in December 2022, the officer reported sick for duty, which was untrue, and then flew out of the country on holiday.

"It is also alleged that a few days later the officer was booked on study leave when she was still on holiday.

"It is further alleged that during a return to work interview the officer was dishonest with supervisors."

According to the documents, if PC Cole's conduct is proven it would amount to gross misconduct, which would be a breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour that is so serious as to justify dismissal.

The areas of the Standards of Professional Behaviour PC Cole is alleged to have breached are discreditable conduct; honesty and integrity; duties and responsibilities and orders and instructions.

South Yorkshire Police’s guidance on misconduct hearings state that they should be heard by a panel of three people that should be chaired by an ‘independent legally qualified person who will be chosen from a pool held by the local policing body, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC)’.

The other panel members should be an ‘officer of at least the rank of Superintendent and an independent lay person, selected from an approved list held by the Office of the PCC’.