Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Ross Hunter

Five more police officers accused of placing bets on General Election date

THE Metropolitan Police have been passed information from the Gambling Commission alleging that five further police officers placed bets relating to the timing of the General Election.  A Met Police spokesperson said: “We previously confirmed the arrest of a Met officer on Monday June 17 for misconduct in public office in relation to bets placed on the timing of the General Election.

“The officer – a police constable from the royalty and specialist protection command – is on restricted duties.

“It is still the case that only one officer is under criminal investigation.

“We have, however, been passed information from the Gambling Commission alleging that five further officers have placed bets related to the timing of the election.

“The Gambling Commission continues to investigate these matters. The officers have not been arrested but the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed.

“The officers are based on the royalty and specialist command, the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command and the central west basic command unit. None of them work in a close protection role.

“Decisions on whether they will be subject to any restrictions will be taken in due course.”

It comes after a member of Rishi Sunak’s protection team was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. 

The other officers are based on the Royalty and Specialist Command, the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and the Central West Basic Command Unit, but none of them work in a close protection role.

The <a href=Conservative Party pulled its support for candidate Craig Williams" style="width: 100%;"> The Conservative Party pulled its support for candidate Craig Williams (Image: UK Parliament)

Decisions on whether the five officers will be subject to any restrictions will be taken in due course, the Met said.

On Tuesday morning, the Conservative Party pulled its support for two candidates who were also accused of placing bets on the date of the General Election

 Craig Williams and Laura Saunders will still remain on the ballot papers in their respective constituencies but will not enjoy the support of the party. 

As well as the parliamentary candidates, two senior Tory officials have taken a leave of absence at a crucial point in the election campaign, after being drawn into the Gambling Commission investigation.

Saunders’s husband Tony Lee, the party’s director of campaigning, and chief data officer Nick Mason have stepped back from their duties.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.