A former British Transport Police (BTP) officer has been formally dismissed following a public misconduct hearing held at BTP Force Headquarters in Camden on 20 May 2024.
Former Detective Constable Edward Sheehan, who was based in London, resigned prior to the hearing and was not present when allegations were put forward that he breached the standards of professional behaviour, specifically ‘Honesty and Integrity’ and ‘Duties and Responsibilities’.
It was alleged that on 20 separate occasions between 19 August and 29 November 2022, DC Sheehan submitted around 21 claims for meal expenses. These claims violated the Force’s Expenses policy, as Sheehan was not prevented during the course of duty from obtaining a meal in the usual way. Additionally, he was not operationally deployed and should have been working from home.
The independent panel found his actions amounted to gross misconduct and, had he not already resigned, he would have been dismissed from the force with immediate effect.
Detective Superintendent Peter Fulton, Head of BTP’s Professional Standards Department, said: “Sheehan blatantly exploited the policy for his own gain, making claims for food and shopping at the maximum amount when he was not operationally deployed. He was fully aware of the expenses policy, and there was a clear dishonesty and lack of integrity in his actions which would have led to his dismissal had he not already left the force.”
