PC Liam Reakes was found to have committed gross misconduct
The HQ of Avon And Somerset Police and Avon Fire and Rescue in Portishead(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
A ‘deceitful and dishonest’ former police officer who weighed down the Z character on his laptop keyboard to fake working from home has been barred from the profession.
PC Liam Reakes was found to have committed gross misconduct at a tribunal at Avon & Somerset Police headquarters in Portishead on Monday, June 9, and would have been dismissed without notice had he not resigned last month.
The officer, who was based in Yeovil, admitted holding down the key during numerous shifts for a total of 103 hours between June and September 2024, sometimes for more than four hours at a time.
A subsequent audit of keystrokes showed he had been doing this since the previous September, the misconduct hearing was told.
Panel chairman Craig Holden said: “This is deceitful and dishonest behaviour.
“The impact on the trust the public have in the police service will be damaged.
“He had lied during the interview process when he could have come clean, and the activity was regular and sustained.”
PC Reakes, who did not attend the hearing, admitted opening a blank Word document and holding down the Z key for long periods of time but denied that this was to give a false impression he was working from home when he was not.
He accepted his behaviour fell below the standards expected but denied gross misconduct.
Barrister Mark Ley-Morgan, representing the force, said: “He knew he was being paid for work that he was not doing.
“We are all entitled to take a break and have a cup of tea but this was far beyond that.
“There is no place in the police service for dishonest officers.”
He said there were concerns about PC Reakes’ performance throughout 2024 which led to a number of meetings with his sergeant.
Mr Ley-Morgan said the officer’s case was that he was struggling with mental health issues and that he lacked the support and motivation that working alongside colleagues in an office gave him.
He said PC Reakes argued that he held down the Z character to protect his mental health as it could allow him to see his computer screen and respond promptly to messages.
But the barrister said the officer made no mention of mental health difficulties during the conversations with his sergeant and that there was no evidence to support the claim.
Head of the professional standards department Det Supt Larisa Hunt said afterwards: “PC Reakes was the subject of an action plan and was allocated a tutor due to concerns over his performance prior to the keyboard audit being carried out.
“The use of any device or system to replicate keyboard activity is wholly wrong and deceptive and the public will be rightly outraged at this behaviour.
“Not only has he let down those he made a commitment to serve and protect but he’s also let down his colleagues, who are continuing to deal with significant pressure and workloads.
“We’re continually reminding line managers of their key responsibilities to hold regular check-ins, one-to-ones, and reviews, so the wellbeing and capacity of their staff can be properly monitored.
“It’s also important for performance issues to be identified early and any necessary support or training put in place to help resolve them.”
PC Reakes will be added to the national barred list preventing him from working in policing or other law enforcement agencies again.
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