The number of police staff dismissed annually by Wiltshire Police has reached at least a six-year high.

Six police staff, including five police officers, were placed on the barred list by Wiltshire Police between April 1 2023 and March 31 2024, according to the College of Policing.

This is an increase from four in 2022-23 and the highest since at least 2018 when the list began. 20 Wiltshire police staff have been placed on the barred list in this six-year period, including 13 officers.

The barred list refers to police staff sacked for misconduct and prevents them from working in policing again.

Here are the six Wiltshire Police staff who have been barred and the reasons for their dismissal:

John Brixey – The former Wiltshire Police sergeant was found to have made sexualised comments on multiple occasions to a female police officer he was supervising. Mr Brixey had served on the force for almost 20 years before his resignation in November 2022, with a hearing finding him guilty of gross misconduct in May 2023.

Peter Burden – The former Salisbury police officer was found to have lied to his supervisor about making home visits on duty. A hearing in September 2023 found his actions amounted to gross misconduct and that he would have been dismissed had he not already resigned.

Neil Turnbull – The former Police Community Support Officer was barred in October 2023 after pleading guilty to driving a police car under the influence of alcohol at Swindon Magistrates Court in August 2023.

Kyle Carter – The former Swindon police officer was dismissed in November 2023 for making sexualised comments and acting inappropriately on several occasions towards female colleagues. Mr Carter also tried to go on patrol with a female officer despite being instructed to patrol alone.

Frank Katus – The former roads policing officer was dismissed in January 2024 for sending offensive messages to two of his colleagues.

Andrew Moreton – The former police inspector was dismissed in February 2024 for a series of misogynistic comments made between April 2020 and September 2022. Mr Moreton faced nine allegations from 11 female officers and staff.

In her fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner, Chief Constable Catherine Roper said: “Whilst we know the vast majority of officers and staff working within policing adhere to the standards rightly expected of them, there is sadly a small minority who do not.

“The Police Barred List helps ensure that a small minority do not find their way back into policing once dismissed and ensures necessary safeguarding to protect the professionalism and essential standards of policing.

“This is imperative as we seek to build trust and confidence in the service. I remain committed to leading a force which delivers the very highest of standards, and I will not hesitate to tackle poor behaviour.

Nationally, 593 police officers were placed on the list across England and Wales in this period, a nearly 50 per cent increase from the previous year’s total of 394.

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