Police Interceptors sergeant ‘had car park sex with colleague’
Police Interceptors sergeant ‘had car park sex with colleague’
Telegraph reportersWed, October 21, 2026 at 2:28 PM UTC
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Ben Sutcliffe resigned from Cleveland Police in February while facing gross misconduct proceedings - North News / NNP
A police sergeant who appeared on a TV documentary series has been found guilty of gross misconduct after he was accused of having “risky” car park sex with a probationary officer.
Ben Sutcliffe, who featured on the Channel 5 show Police Interceptors, resigned from Cleveland Police in February and did not attend a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday in Stockton, Teesside, chaired by Chief Constable Victoria Fuller.
Ms Fuller found that his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and that if he was still a serving officer he would have been dismissed.
She said his conduct was “very serious” and that he had displayed “dishonesty over an extended period of time”.
The hearing was told that in June or July 2024, Mr Sutcliffe began a relationship with a probationary officer named in the proceedings only as Pc A.
Mr Sutcliffe repeatedly lied about their relationship when challenged by the force, and told Pc A to do the same.
He also sent sexually explicit messages, including videos, while he was on duty, to the point where it affected his ability to perform his job.
Mr Sutcliffe repeatedly lied about his relationship with his colleague - North News / NNP
He was also found to have had sex with Pc A in public places, “knowing and intending there was a risk of being caught”.
Mr Sutcliffe passed on confidential details of another officer’s arrest to Pc A without a proper policing purpose.
Det Insp Holly Hunter, of the force’s professional standards department, said rumours of a relationship between Mr Sutcliffe and Pc A were investigated in August 2025, but that he had denied it in an interview, saying they were just friends.
But in November last year, Pc A told investigators they had been in a relationship since the previous summer, and examination of her phone showed they had shared 57,568 WhatsApp messages and 6,631 texts.
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A large number of them were sexual, some were sent on duty and others discussed outdoor sex. The texts showed they agreed to lie about what they were doing if challenged, Ms Hunter told the hearing.
Ms Hunter said mobile phone evidence also revealed the pair had sex in public places while off-duty.
A message he sent Pc A in August 2024 referred to Mr Sutcliffe’s wish to have sex outside and made reference to a previous encounter in a car park in broad daylight which he had described as “risky”, DI Hunter said.
He suggested possible locations and later texts suggested it had taken place, the hearing was told.
And in December 2024, there was a message from Mr Sutcliffe, which referred to “enjoying the risk”.
Mr Sutcliffe’s profile for his role on the Channel 5 documentary series Police Interceptors - North News / NNP
When a member of the professional standards team interviewed Mr Sutcliffe, he stated that he and Pc A were “merely friends” and suggested the allegations may be “malicious”.
She said in August last year, Mr Sutcliffe told Pc A he was going to apply for “health and safety jobs” as he was “expecting the worst and needed to get back-up options in place”.
Ms Fuller said Mr Sutcliffe made a written submission, accepting his conduct amounted to misconduct but suggesting it fell short of gross misconduct.
Pc Adam Woodland, for the Police Federation on behalf of Mr Sutcliffe, said the former officer did not believe his performance had been affected and that colleagues would support that.
Mr Sutcliffe also queried why Pc A had not faced disciplinary action. The chief constable said she believed that needed further consideration.
The chief constable said Mr Sutcliffe, who joined the force in 2005, would be barred from future service.
On the Police Interceptor website, Mr Sutcliffe was listed as an advanced driver trained in tactical pursuit, an armed response officer, a medic, a public order instructor and a family liaison officer.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
