You won't believe what cost this Met policewoman her job

Metro However, the Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Professional Standards continued with a separate misconduct investigation and referred the case to a misconduct hearing. Acting Sgt Rachel Bright of the Metropolitan Police has been dismissed from service after a misconduct panel found her guilty of gross misconduct over the inappropriate and deliberate touching of a woman during a night out. Bright, attached to the South West Command Unit, was dismissed without notice following a misconduct hearing on Friday, September 4. The panel heard that Bright, while off duty at a bar in Clapham Junction in December 2022, repeatedly touched a woman known to her in a deliberate and unsolicited manner. An investigation into the incident was launched, and Bright was suspended from duty in December 2023 after being charged with one count of sexual assault. She was subsequently tried at Kingston Crown Court in October 2024 and found not guilty. However, the Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Professional Standards continued with a separate misconduct investigation and referred the case to a misconduct hearing. The panel found the allegations proven and ruled that Bright had breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to discreditable conduct. Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles, who is in charge of policing for South West London, thanked the woman who reported the incident for her courage throughout the process. He described Bright's conduct as 'wholly unacceptable', saying it fell far short of the standards expected of police officers. 'Anyone who fails to uphold our standards should expect to be held accountable,' Knowles said. Following her dismissal, Bright will be placed on the College of Policing Barred List, preventing her from working in policing in the future.