TV sergeant had 'risky' public sex with officer

A police sergeant who appeared on TV show Police Interceptors has been found guilty of gross misconduct after he had "risky" public sex with a probationary officer.

Ben Sutcliffe also had sex with the junior officer while stood down from night shift as a dog handler for Cleveland Police, a disciplinary hearing heard.

The temporary sergeant resigned from the force in February and did not attend the hearing chaired by Chief Constable Victoria Fuller.

Fuller said Sutcliffe made a written submission, accepting his conduct amounted to misconduct but suggesting it fell short of gross misconduct. After hearing evidence, she said if he was still a serving officer he would have been dismissed.

His conduct was "very serious" and he had displayed "dishonesty over an extended period of time", the Chief Constable said.

Fuller outlined the background of the case, saying Sutcliffe was in a supervisory role with the response team based in Stockton, and also a dog handler.

In June or July 2024, he began a relationship with a female probationary officer named as PC A.

Sutcliffe was accused of repeatedly lying about their relationship when challenged by the force and told PC A to do the same.

He was alleged to have sent sexually explicit messages, including videos, while he was on duty, to the point where it affected his ability to perform his job.

He was also said to have had sex with PC A in public places, "knowing and intending there was a risk of being caught".

Det Insp Holly Hunter, of the force's professional standards department, said rumours of a relationship between Sutcliffe and PC A were investigated in August 2025, and he denied it in 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 an examination of her phone showed they had shared 57,568 WhatsApp messages and 6,631 texts.

As an example, the detective said Sutcliffe texted PC A at 01:41 while he was on a night shift in July 2024, asking where to park at her house and leaving the boot of his vehicle open, indicating he was a dog handler.

Hunter said there was a subsequent text at 04:17 indicating "sexual conduct had occurred".

It was later clarified that the sexual activity took place while he was stood down from his dog handler duties at the end of a night shift.

On another night shift in September 2024, Sutcliffe sent PC A sexually explicit pictures and videos, the hearing was told.

A message he sent PC A in August 2024 referred to Sutcliffe's "wish to have sex outside and makes reference to a previous encounter in a car park in broad daylight which he described as risky", Hunter said.

He suggested possible locations and later texts suggested it had taken place, the hearing was told.

In December 2024, there was a message from Sutcliffe which referred to "enjoying the risk".

When a member of the professional standards team interviewed Sutcliffe, he stated he and PC A were "merely friends" and suggested the allegations may be "malicious".

He later messaged PC A to say he had denied their relationship to investigators and that she should do the same.

Sutcliffe was also said to have passed on confidential details to PC A when another officer was arrested at his home in July 2025 when there was no policing purpose to do so.

PC Adam Woodland, for the Police Federation on behalf of Sutcliffe, said the former officer did not believe his performance had been affected and colleagues would support that.

Reading a statement on Sutcliffe's behalf, Woodland said: "I apologise for the areas where I fell short and I have reflected on them."

Sutcliffe also queried why PC A had not faced disciplinary action.

The Chief Constable said she believed that needed further consideration by the appropriate authority.

Regarding the texts sent while on duty, Fuller said: "The sheer volume and contents implies there must have been some distraction from his commitment to work which would have inevitably interfered with the proper performance of his duty."

The Chief Constable said Sutcliffe, who joined the force in 2005, would be barred from future service.

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