‘Rude’ police officers to be formally punished under new rules

Officers will be punished for having sex, taking drugs or being drunk on duty in bid to improve the image of police

Police found to be having sex, drunk or on drugs will face formal discipline under new code of ethics (Getty)

Police officers who are rude to the public will face disciplinary action according to new rules, ministers are expected to announce next week.

In a new 10-point code-of-ethics created to improve the image of the police and re-build its public trust, officers who are found having sex on the job or turning up to work either drunk or using drugs will face punishment.

The punishments will range from verbal warnings to the possible dismissal of officers from their roles, while officers of all levels will be encouraged to report any breech of the code.

Authorities hope the new code, drawn up by the College of Policing and understood to be backed by Home Secretary Theresa May, will re-build public trust in the police following a series of high-profile scandals including the investigation into the Hillsborough disaster and the Plebgate row, and the force’s involvement in phone hacking.

The final version of the code is expected to be set before ministers on Tuesday in Parliament.

Tory MP James Clappison, who is a member of Home Affairs select committee, told The Telegraph: “The over-whelming majority of the police are polite to the public but I think it is useful to set out.

“I think this will be good for the police themselves and for the public and give them even greater confidence in them. The overwhelmingly majority of police are decent and conscientious.”

"If officers breach the code of ethics a range of sanctions are available. Officers may simply be given a verbal warning or moved to another team, but more significant failures will require formal investigation and may result in an individual losing their job.