The Bucks Free Press and Reading Chronicle can today reveal the identity of police officers who were kicked out of the force without the public being told their names.

An investigation into previously unearthed records has found the names of Thames Valley Police officers secretly dismissed following misconduct hearings.

Their breaches range from racist messaging using police phones, turning up to work while drunk, developing a personal relationship with a woman met on duty, and accessing police systems for "unauthorised checks".

Although Thames Valley Police made their names secret, the disciplinary process meant their names went on to the public College of Policing Barred List. All barred officers should be placed on a public list, except in cases that would cause serious harm, government regulations state.

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This newspaper has seen the data published following an investigation with our sister title The Brighton Argus in collaboration with New Statesman into records of officers dismissed for serious breaches.

Thames Valley Police said every hearing has an appointed Legally Qualified Chair (LQC) and it is their responsibility to determine whether a hearing should be held in public or private.

The force said 'in most circumstances', if the LQC has specified that a hearing should be held in private, the name of the officer will be redacted from the notice of outcome published.

They also told us that the LQC is independent from TVP, therefore they must adhere to their instructions. The breaches and police officer names kept from the public have been anonymised, for example, if there are vulnerabilities, elements of sexual nature or medical or welfare concerns.

Dismissals may be “heard in private" when the naming of an officer could risk the identification of a vulnerable victim, or it may affect the welfare of the officer themselves.

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However, Home Office guidance states that the presumption should “be of transparency where possible”.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "Thames Valley Police adopts a policy of openness and transparency with regards to police misconduct. Policing is one of the most transparent professions with regards to misconduct hearings. There are very few professions that permit both the public and media to attend gross misconduct hearings, as well as subsequently publishing the detailed findings of the panel.

"Thames Valley Police conform to the national police regulations and Home Office statutory guidance, and proactively publish information for all public misconduct hearings both prior to the hearing and at the outcome.

"Misconduct hearings are normally held before an independent Legally Qualified chair, an independent lay person and a senior police officer of Superintendent rank or above. These hearings are open to members of the media and the public who are given the opportunity to attend, unless restrictions are imposed by the independent legally qualified chair. It should be noted that though during the Covid-19 pandemic, this has been afforded remotely rather than in person.

"Thames Valley Police also fulfil our obligation to ensure that all officers dismissed from the service as a result of gross misconduct are prevented from being re-employed through notifying the College of Policing, who oversee the national barred list.

"Police staff who are subject to such misconduct proceedings will also have their details notified to the College of Policing, who will be placed on the barred list.

"However, in accordance with legislation, this is not on the publicly accessible list and we do not proactively publish outcomes for hearings relating to staff.

"Unlike police officers, police staff are employees and are entitled to privacy in matters of discipline under the Employment Rights Act 1996."

The following cases were found on the public Police Barred list. According to legislation, no information should be put on the list that would be against the interests of national security, might prejudice the investigation of criminal or civil proceedings or result in a "significant risk of harm" to any person.

Police officers who were 'secretly' kicked out or quit Thames Valley Police

Nigel Melvyn Snell left the force on May 3, 2018, after conducting unauthorised checks on police databases by checking the names of two people without a policing purpose.

Mr Snell, who was a police constable but quit Thames Valley Police before the misconduct hearing took place, received a caution for these offences and would have been dismissed as a serving officer had he not already resigned.

Ruairidh Kee was kicked out on January 23, 2019. It was found that he had made "inappropriate contact with a vulnerable person" whilst off duty.

Shaun Trevor Heyns resigned from the force on February 11, 2019, when traces of cocaine were found on him.

The barred list record states: "The former officer provided a body hair sample for drug testing for an application to transfer to another police force. The sample tested positive for cocaine."

The misconduct hearing found that he would have been dismissed had he not already left the force.

Daniel Michael James Godden was kicked out of the force on November 29, 2019.

The misconduct hearing found that the constable had exhibited threatening and intimidating behaviour that caused another person to feel “serious alarm or distress”.

Matthew Edward Gardner quit Thames Valley Police on July 13, 2020. The barred list states that his behaviour in relation to a “number of incidents” between December 2018 and June 2019 amounted to discreditable conduct.

The hearing found he would have been dismissed had he still been serving.

Nicola Jane Butler dropped out of the force on January 6, 2021, after making "inappropriate comments of a sexual nature” and “behaving inappropriately towards colleagues and a member of the public."

Had she not resigned before the misconduct hearing, she would have been let go from Thames Valley Police.

Mark David Dunford was kicked out of the force on January 12, 2021, after developing a personal relationship with a woman he met while investigating a man she was related to.

The barred list states that while investigating “Mr Y”, the officer met “Mrs X” who he went on to form a relationship with.

Some of his contact with Mrs X was via text messages and emails on his work mobile phone and email account, which he later deleted.

Mr Dunford was also found to have been “dishonest” to his supervisor over how he met Mrs X and he also failed to disclose a change in his personal relationship circumstances to the Force Vetting Department.

Richard Crooks was kicked out of the force on March 9, 2021, after he arrived at work while under the influence of alcohol.

When he gave a breath test, he gave readings of 31 and 28 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The acceptable level for an on-duty police officer is 13 micrograms.

Thames Valley Police has already published details on 40 barred officers found in the sample. This is because the force had published their names as public record through press releases.

For example, Thames Valley Police had published details of an officer who was found guilty of misconduct for failing to self-isolate following a close contact with Covid-19.

PC Denim Wade was accused of ‘failing to treat colleagues with respect and courtesy’ after failing to self-isolate when required to last year.

The officer came into close contact with a man arrested on suspicion of shoplifting in Reading.

PC Wade, who is based at Reading Police Station, assisted in the suspect’s arrest and detention on November 25, 2020.

He was ‘in close contact’ with the suspect ‘for a ‘period of time’ having travelled with the suspect to custody in a car.

The force also claimed PC Wade ‘deliberately omitted information relating to social distancing and amended an email to his supervisor advising the time of the suspect’s test in order to avoid having to self-isolate.’

Following a Thames Valley Police misconduct hearing which ran from July 14 to July 16, bosses at the force decided to sack PC Wade.