A police officer who was running a coffee shop whilst suspended from duty has been sacked.
Police constable Stanley Kennett, 31, applied for a business interest called The Coffee Cycle while he was suspended from duty on 23 April 2024. The application was denied a week later, according to a tribunal ruling.
A compliance check found that PC Kennett had continued to operate the coffee shop as an unauthorised business interest while receiving full pay from the force in September last year.
The business was based in a bike shop in Storrington, West Sussex, serving coffee, cakes and pastries. PC Kennett has been listed as the director of the Coffee Cycle Catering Company Ltd on Companies House as of 1 April last year.
“We believe that coffee and tea are not just drinks, but experiences,” reads a description of the business on the website. “That’s why we strive to create a warm and inviting space where our customers can relax and enjoy the subtle nuances of each cup. We believe that great coffee and tea should be savoured, not rushed.”
PC Kennett attended a hearing on 12 February, where he was represented by PS Nicci Searle, his Federation Representative.
He was dismissed without notice after being found to have breached police standards of professional behaviour amounting to gross misconduct.
The chair, commander Andy Brittain, found that the allegations against PC Kennett were proven on the balance of probabilities.
He said: “PC Kennett was responsible for his own actions. He flatly contravened an order and instruction in full knowledge that it might be deemed to bring the MPS into disrepute.
“This was not simply a volunteering opportunity; this was a full-blown and expanding business supported by incorporation of that business, the granting of a director’s loan, and employment of staff.”
He added that the former police constable had been posting actively on social media to promote the business, describing it as a “sophisticated operation” where PC Kennett was heavily involved at “all points”.
Commander Brittain ruled there was a high risk of harm when it came to bringing the profession into disrepute.
“Running a business, whether for financial gain or not, whilst suspended on full pay brings policing and the MPS in particular into disrepute. Members of the public would not expect serving police officers to act in this way.”
PC Kennett was dismissed without notice and placed on the College of Policing’s barred list.
