Policeman who inappropriately touched colleague banned from policing

A police constable who inappropriately touched a female colleague on the bottom twice during a night out has been banned from ever serving in the force again.

Jack Bannister was with Gwent Police at the time of the assault, which happened while he was off duty in Cardiff in December 2021.

He resigned from his job in September 2022.

A Gwent Police hearing held on Monday March 27 found Bannister, who was based at Bedwas police station, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not resigned.

It also found Bannister’s conduct breached professional standards on two occasions.

Bannister, who was not present at the hearing, will now be placed on the College of Policing’s barred list.

Gwent Police’s chief constable, Pam Kelly, chaired the panel.

She said: “The allegations against former officer Jack Bannister were proven following incontrovertible evidence against him.

“Our communities deserve the very best from those serving them and they deserve the highest of standards.

“This former officer’s behaviour fell far below what I expect from all our officers, and I’m grateful to the people within our organisation who raised this and brought this conduct to our attention.

“It was important that the hearing went ahead in his absence.”

Chief Constable Kelly added: “We will continue to send a clear message to colleagues and the public that this behaviour has no place in our service, and we will pursue and remove those who damage confidence in Gwent Police.

“His name will now be placed on the list of barred officers preventing him from working as an officer in future.”