Met Police officer keeps job after misconduct hearing finds he breached confidentiality

Christopher Bates sent 20 images from MPS intelligence and crime reporting systems for non-policing related purpose

PC Christopher Bates was given a final written warning following a misconduct hearing (PA Archive)

A serving Metropolitan Police officer who was found to have breached confidentiality has kept his job with a written warning for gross misconduct.

PC Christopher Bates, of the North West Command Unit, was given a final written warning following a misconduct hearing on 17 December.

He was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to confidentiality and discreditable conduct after he sent images from the MPS intelligence and crime reporting systems to a private person via WhatsApp in 2019.

Between April and October 2019, Mr Bates is said to have obtained and disclosed 20 confidential images for a non policing related purpose.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, BCU Commander for North West London called Mr Bates’ actions “unacceptable”.

In a statement, Ms Leach said: “Upholding the integrity of the MPS intelligence systems is a fundamental requirement and behaviour of this kind is not acceptable.

“It is right that those whose actions do not meet our expected standards face misconduct proceedings.

“This is crucial to increasing the trust and confidence people have in our organisation.”

Last week, a different Met Police officer, Harry Chandler, was dismissed without notice after an investigation into photos taken of two murdered sisters found that he had used a racial slur in a text.

The message was found in a WhatsApp conversation with Jamie Lewis, one of two Met Police officers who were jailed this month for sharing photographs of the bodies of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman who were murdered in Wembley in 2020.

Mr Chandler had used the racist slur “p***” in a discussion about which area of London to rent a flat in June 2020.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Tucker said: “Using language of this nature is utterly unacceptable and will not be tolerated. PC Chandler has rightly been held to account for his actions.”