Married police officer guarding Buckingham Palace got 16-year-old girl’s number on duty and sent ‘inappropriate’ messages

PC Andrew Daly was ‘disrespectful’ toward teen, hearing told

The officer was tasked with guarding Buckingham Palace (PA)

A police officer who got a 16-year-old girl’s phone number while guarding Buckingham Palace and sent her “inappropriate” messages has been sacked.

PC Andrew Daly was attached to the Metropolitan Police’s royalty and specialist protection command, which protects the royal family, government officials and diplomats.

The married officer did not attend a hearing that found allegations of gross misconduct proven on Tuesday.

Scotland Yard said a panel with an independent qualified chair, “decided that dismissal without notice was the most appropriate sanction”.

The misconduct hearing heard Mr Daly “inappropriately obtained the telephone number of a 16-year-old female whilst performing his professional duties” in May 2016.

The teenager, who is now 18, said she did not want to give her number to him, and told him her age.

Scotland Yard said Mr Daly “gave the impression of an intention to pursue a relationship with that female, and sent her messages which were inappropriate and disrespectful”.

The Metropolitan Police said Mr Daly’s conduct breached professional standards on duties, responsibilities, discreditable conduct, integrity, authority, respect and courtesy.

Mr Daly is one of a number of police officers dismissed across the UK over inappropriate contact, sexual offences and stalking.

A “committed paedophile” who joined Cheshire Police to access children was last month convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl he met on duty.

Ian Naude contacted his victim on Facebook after being called to her home, and sent her sexual messages before the attack.

There are fears volunteer police cadet programmes, designed for people aged between 13 and 18, are being abused “for sexual gain”.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) called for safeguarding checks across England and Wales this week, after starting investigations into officers in London and Manchester for alleged “abuses of position for a sexual purpose”.