Sussex Police Officer Dismissed Following Misconduct Hearing

A former Sussex Police officer has been dismissed after a misconduct panel found he failed to properly record and store ammunition and a seized weapon at Gatwick Airport.

Oliver Kirkup, who was serving as a police constable at the airport, was found to have failed to correctly process and securely store ammunition, as well as failing to accurately record a butterfly knife that had been seized.

The allegations related to incidents between July and August 2024 and were considered at a disciplinary hearing on 20 July, where they were found to amount to gross misconduct.

As a result, Kirkup has been dismissed from the force and will be placed on the national barred list, preventing him from working as a police officer again.

Superintendent Fash Mohammadi said the officer's conduct fell well below the standards expected by the force.

She said:

"The actions of this officer on these occasions were not in line with the values and standards that we expect, lacking honesty and integrity.

"All staff are aware of the Standards of Professional Behaviour, and the force remains committed to holding officers to account where they fall below the high standards the public rightly expect."

A separate allegation that Kirkup failed to wear his police hat and falsely claimed a replacement had been delivered was not proven.