Police sergeant who hit 131mph on A40 keeps job

A police sergeant who hit speeds of at least 131mph (211km/h) on a public road while off-duty will keep his job.

A panel found Thames Valley Police's (TVP) Sgt Gareth Clarke, who is based in Oxfordshire, had two passengers when he was driving a privately-owned car on the A40 on 31 May 2023.

It said it hoped he will be in a "better position to set a good example to colleagues in the future" after he was found to have committed gross misconduct.

Mr Clarke said his driving was "not reckless given his training" but the panel found it was "dangerous not only for him but also for his passengers" and gave him a three-year final written warning.

The panel's chairman, Mike Lattanzio, told him that he could have been sacked.

But it concluded his good service record, that he had admitted driving at the speed, and his full co-operation with TVP's investigation meant that he did not need to be.

It said that Mr Clarke showed "clear and genuine regret" for his actions.

"He should be under no illusion that through his actions he has caused reputational harm to TVP, however the panel hopes that he will now be in a better position to set a good example to colleagues in the future," the panel said.

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