AN Avon and Somerset Police officer has been sacked after allegations of gross misconduct relating to honesty and integrity have been proven against her.

PC Amanda Nixon appeared before a misconduct hearing held at police HQ in Portishead this week and the panel, led by an independent legally qualified chairman, decided the sanction should be dismissal without notice.

In July 2018, PC Nixon failed to act after being asked to make arrangements for a witness to attend a video ID procedure in connection with an assault case. It meant the witness was left waiting at home on the day in question and was unable to attend the procedure

The officer later e-mailed the identification unit to say she had not read the e-mail request until too late.

She also told her supervisor she had not read the e-mail because she’d been too busy dealing with prisoners. Both of these accounts were untrue.

Ch Insp Mark Edgington, deputy head of the Professional Standards Department, said: "We expect all officers and staff to show the utmost levels of honesty and integrity at all times and the public rightly expects this too.

"Because of the dishonest accounts she gave, this officer is facing the consequences of failing to live up to the high standards expected of her."