A former police officer with North Yorkshire Police has been permanently barred from serving in any UK force after a misconduct hearing found she had made an unwanted sexual advance towards a male colleague during a night out.
The Incident on a Night Out
The hearing was told that former officer Brogan Canning targeted a more senior colleague, referred to as PC A, on the evening in question. According to witness accounts, Canning was seen stroking the officer's leg, which he confirmed to a colleague. She then grabbed him by the neck in a bid to kiss him, telling him, "you know you want to."
PC A rebuffed her advances, leaving him feeling "angry and embarrassed" by the encounter. Despite his clear rejection, Canning later approached him and asked bluntly, "Do you think I’m fit?" Witness PC Megan Smith stated that Canning had been "acting oddly throughout the night" and was eventually put in a taxi home.
Misconduct Hearing and Outcome
The panel, which heard the case on 29 November 2025, considered four allegations against Canning. It found the accounts from PC A and fellow witnesses, including PCs Nathan Mills and Megan Smith, and PS Ryan Lyth, to be credible.
The panel ruled that her actions constituted gross misconduct, describing her behaviour as "victimising and offensive" and a clear breach of professional standards. Assistant chief officer Sarah Jackson, who chaired the hearing, emphasised that such conduct could damage public confidence in policing.
Canning, who is a mother, had already left the force by the time of the hearing. The panel concluded that she would have been dismissed had she still been a serving officer. The final sanction imposed was that she be barred from policing indefinitely, preventing her from ever serving in a UK police force again.
Response and Remorse
In her defence, Canning submitted a written statement describing her behaviour as "out-of-character." She did not dispute the allegations, acknowledging she had consumed a significant amount of alcohol, which impaired her judgment and memory of the event. The statement noted she was "remorseful from the outset" and had offered a personal apology to the officer involved.
However, the panel found that her previous good character and expressed remorse were insufficient to warrant a lesser outcome, given the serious nature of the findings.
