Police accidentally publish photo of serving officer in appeal for wanted man

Hertfordshire Police appeal said its picture of wanted man was from 2014 so 'his appearance may have changed'

Inspector Wayne Nash's photo was mistakenly published alongside a wanted man appeal on Hertfordshire Police's website and Facebook page (Hertfordshire Police)

A police force has mistakenly published a photograph of a serving officer in an appeal over a wanted man.

Inspector Wayne Nash’s picture was posted on Hertfordshire Police’s website and Facebook page beneath a “wanted” caption.

The force appealed for help from the public to find Chris Carrington, 25, who is sought in connection to grievous bodily harm.

Police said “this picture of Chris was taken in 2014 so his appearance may have changed”.

A Hertfordshire Police spokesman said: “An incorrect image was shared of a serving police officer with our wanted appeal for Chris Carrington on Facebook and on our website.

“As soon as we became aware of this we removed the image and updated our website and Facebook post with the correct image of Mr Carrington.

“The correct image was shared with our press release and on our Twitter accounts when it was first issued.”

The wanted appeal ran on Tuesday, shortly after the force published a press release announcing the Mr Nash appointment to the Welwyn Hatfield Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Both the appeal and the press release featured the same photo of the inspector posing outside Hatfield police station.

Mr Nash has served on the force for 18 years.

Mr Carrington, of no fixed address, is said to have connections to Bovingdon and Hemel Hempstead