A former police officer has been placed on the Police Barred List after attempting to force her way into a Cheltenham nightclub by showing her warrant card. PC Hannah Cooling resigned just before her misconduct hearing, but had she still been serving, she would have faced immediate dismissal.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 23 February, when Cooling flashed her police warrant card at nightclub staff, claiming she was on an “active operation” to gain entry past the velvet ropes. The East Gloucestershire venue did not accept her claim and alerted the police.
When officers confronted Cooling, she denied the allegations. However, a Professional Standards investigation disproved her story. At a fast-tracked misconduct hearing on 28 November, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson, Cooling was found guilty of abusing her authority, disrespect, discreditable conduct, and dishonesty.
As a result, her name has been added to the Police Barred List, permanently banning her from working in policing again.
Deputy Chief Constable Katy Barrow Grint condemned the actions, stating, “While off-duty, PC Cooling attempted to abuse her position as a police officer to gain entry into a nightclub. She then lied about her actions when questioned by officers. This is a clear breach of the College of Policing’s Standards which every officer must uphold.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
