A MISCONDUCT hearing has found that a former officer who subjected female colleagues to inappropriate sexualised behaviour and comments in the workplace would have been dismissed from the force, had he not already resigned.

The hearing, chaired by Assistant Chief Officer Robin Punt, took place on Monday, 10 and Tuesday, 11 November.

During the hearing, it was heard that the former officer Tony Arthur made inappropriate sexualised comments to five female colleagues on several different occasions throughout 2024. 

After colleagues spoke-up with concerns about his behaviour, a professional standards investigation was launched and former Detective Constable 3591 Tony Arthur was suspended. He resigned from his position with effect from October 2025, before the misconduct hearing took place.

The misconduct hearing panel found that he had:

• 1.      Breached the police standards of professional behaviour in relation to authority, respect and courtesy by making sexualised comments and subjecting female colleagues to unwanted conduct of a sexual nature;
• 2.      Breached the standards in relation to equality and diversity by carrying out unwanted conduct of a sexual nature which had the purpose or effect of violating the dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for those female colleagues; 
• 3      Engaged in behaviour which has discredited the police service and undermined public confidence in the service.

The misconduct hearing panel found the former officer's actions amounted to gross misconduct and that, had he not already resigned, he would have been dismissed without notice. 

The panel also ordered that his name be placed on the College of Policing Barred List, with the result that he will not be able to join any UK police force at any time in the future. 

Following the hearing, panel chair ACO Robin Punt said: "There is simply no place in policing for people who think, wrongly, that they can get away with sexual misconduct.  

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"In Essex, the officers, police staff and volunteers I work alongside will confront and deal with anyone who tries to do this. 

"We won't allow any individual to undermine all the hard work that goes on day and night to catch criminals, keep people safe and win the trust of communities across the county.

"To the witnesses in this case and to the detectives who led this professional standards investigation; you saw something that was wrong and then you did the right thing. I want to praise your courage in speaking up.  

"To anyone speaking up; you will be listened to. That's what this case proves. 

"To anyone who tries to get away with misconduct of this kind; you're on borrowed time, the truth will come out just as it has today."