Avon and Somerset Police officer sacked for sex in station
PC Dave Lovell was also found to have posted explicit images of women online without their consent
Last updated 3rd May 2023
An Avon and Somerset Police officer, who had sex with a colleague in a police station while on duty, has been sacked.
PC Dave Lovell, who was based in Somerset, has been dismissed without notice following a misconduct hearing at Police Headquarters in Portishead today (3 May).
During the hearing, as well as the allegation mentioned above it was also proven that PC Lovell had posted explicit images of three women he knew online without their consent and had a separate inappropriate relationship with a former colleague.
Head of Professional Standards, Supt Mark Edgington, said: “This has been an extremely distressing case for the three women involved and they’ve shown incredible fortitude and courage in supporting these misconduct proceedings against PC Lovell.
“As soon as the first allegation was received, he was suspended from duty and a thorough investigation was carried out, resulting in the other complainants being identified and informed.
“PC Lovell has exploited and abused the confidence placed in him by the complainants; his behaviour has been nothing short of disgraceful."
As well as being sacked PC Lovell has been placed on a national bared list, preventing him from ever being employed by another police force or law enforcement agency again.
“It’s right he should never be able to serve in law enforcement again as he’s proven himself to be incapable of upholding the high standards expected of him," Supt Edgington said.
"He’s betrayed the trust bestowed on him by the public, which in turn negatively impacts on the confidence the public have in their police service.”
The case against Lovell began in May 2021 when one of the women contacted the police's Professional Standards Department, saying a friend had seen intimate images of her on a website.
She told investigators she’d consensually shared these images with PC Lovell previously but had never given him consent to post them online.
Investigators then discovered that intimate images of two other women had also been posted online by PC Lovell.
All three women stated they didn’t wish to proceed with a criminal complaint but were willing to support the misconduct process, on the basis they would be given anonymity.