RECORD NUMBER OF OFFICERS BARRED FROM POLICING ACROSS ENGLAND AND WALES

The College of Policing recorded 757 regular officers added to its barred list in England and Wales in the year to 31 March 2026, a record total since the register began. Of those, 334 were dismissed while serving, 397 following resignation and 26 after retirement. The College logged 1,173 reasons for the dismissals, with dishonesty cited in 142 cases, discriminatory behaviour in 110 and unlawful access or disclosure of information in 101. Other reasons included rape and involvement in discriminatory WhatsApp groups. Police constables accounted for 641 of the 757 officers barred.

In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, 13 officers from the constabulary were sacked and barred from policing over the same period, seven dismissed while serving and six following resignation. The figure fell from 20 the previous year. Annual figures for the force show seven officers barred in 2021/22, none in 2022/23, 14 in 2023/24, 20 in 2024/25 and 13 in 2025/26. In total, 69 regular officers from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary have been barred since the list was introduced in December 2017.

ACC Arman Mathieson, director of operational standards at the College of Policing, said: "Policing is built on trust, and these figures show we will not hesitate to act when that trust is broken." The barred list records officers dismissed while serving, as well as those who resign or retire while under investigation and are later found to have warranted dismissal. It was introduced to stop officers removed for misconduct from being rehired by another force. The latest figures cover the 12 months from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.