PC Nicholas Lovatt, who appeared on Channel 5's Traffic Cops, has been dismissed from Derbyshire Constabulary following a gross misconduct hearing. The officer, who had served with the force since 2001, was found to have committed criminal offences and misled fellow officers.
Misconduct hearing findings
At a hearing overseen by Chief Constable Simon Blatchly on Wednesday, September 2, PC Lovatt was found to have repeatedly ridden two motorbikes without insurance or a valid MOT. He admitted to riding his own motorbike without insurance while it was registered as SORN - not taxed and without a valid MOT - on 16 occasions between September 16 and November 25, 2025.
He also rode a second vehicle, belonging to a close associate and carrying an expired MOT while being SORN, on six occasions during September and October 2025, reports the Daily Star. He took out insurance for his own motorbike on November 25 and was stopped by an officer the following day, at which point he claimed the bike had "not been on the road for ages", despite having ridden it for more than two months.
Chief Constable's ruling
While PC Lovatt accepted the allegations, he denied acting dishonestly or without integrity and disputed that his conduct amounted to gross misconduct. Chief Con Blatchly ruled that Lovatt had breached standards of honesty and integrity and that his conduct had been discreditable, concluding that his actions "significantly harm[ed] public trust and confidence".
The outcome document stated: "This Officer has, essentially, committed a large number of road traffic offences. He is an officer that dealt with road traffic for much of his career and he drove two vehicles when he was either uninsured or the vehicles were registered as SORN, i.e. not taxed or without a valid MOT. He will have dealt with many offenders on the roads throughout his policing career, who have put themselves and other road users at risk by committing such offences. For him to commit such misconduct himself is highly discreditable. I am centrally concerned that there would be serious harm to public trust and confidence in policing if a member of the public was aware of the full circumstances of this case, i.e. that a road traffic officer repeatedly drove into force headquarters in an uninsured vehicle and then lied about this when pulled over by colleagues."
Dismissal and impact
Chief Con Blatchly revealed he had received a significant number of glowing character references in support of PC Lovatt, noting that he had been "well liked and well respected" throughout the force, while also acknowledging his involvement in high-profile investigations. He added: "I note this behaviour came at a very stressful time for the Officer, during the breakdown of his marriage and subsequent separation," concluding that the scope for any mitigation was, however, "very limited".
It was concluded that Lovatt had been guilty of gross misconduct as a result of his actions, resulting in his dismissal from the force. Chief Con Blatchly stated: "No other outcome than dismissal would be adequate to uphold public confidence in policing and maintain the high standards that I expect of officers of Derbyshire Constabulary. I need to send a very clear message that officers cannot break the law themselves, nor be dishonest about it. I cannot endorse this behaviour with anything less than the most serious sanction."
