AN Essex Police officer who provided a positive result in a random drugs test has been dismissed after he was found to have breached the force's standards of conduct.

A hearing chaired by Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington found serving officer PC Jean-Junior Mayala breached standards in relation to discreditable conduct and fitness for work.

The hearing heard PC Mayala, who joined the police in 2022 after a career which included working in banking and insurance communications and being a personal trainer, provided a positive result in a random drugs test on 14 March 2023.

On Tuesday, 9 January this year, the panel found the allegation to be proven and he was dismissed.

Chief Constable Harrington said: "Illegal drugs destroy communities and ruin lives. Violence and exploitation go hand-in-hand with the sale of drugs and we work really hard as a force to tackle this.

"It is totally unacceptable for police officers or staff to take illegal drugs, they put themselves, their colleagues and the public at risk and they undermine the trust our communities place in us.

"The testing of officers is essential to reassure the public that Essex Police will not tolerate the use of drugs by its staff."