A former Cleveland Police sergeant who appeared on the Channel 5 documentary Police Interceptors has been found guilty of gross misconduct after having sex in a car park with a fellow officer in broad daylight.
Ben Sutcliffe resigned from the force in February. He had also slept with the junior probationary officer while he was supposed to be on a night shift. The temporary sergeant did not attend the hearing in Stockton, Teesside, chaired by Chief Constable Victoria Fuller.
Hearing findings
After hearing evidence, Ms Fuller adjudicated that his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and that if he were still a serving officer he would have been dismissed. She described his conduct as "very serious" and said he had displayed "dishonesty over an extended period of time".
Mr Sutcliffe, who held a supervisory role with the Stockton response team and was also a dog handler, began a relationship with the female officer, named only as Pc A in proceedings, in either June or July 2024. He repeatedly lied about their relationship when challenged by the force, telling Pc A to do the same.
Evidence of relationship
Detective Inspector Holly Hunter, of the force's Professional Standards Department, said rumours of a relationship between Sutcliffe and Pc A were investigated in August 2025, and he denied it in interview, saying they were just friends. But in November last year, Pc A told investigators they had been in a relationship since the previous summer, and examination of her phone showed they had shared 57,568 WhatsApp messages and 6,631 texts.
A large number of them were sexual in nature, some were sent on duty, others discussed outdoor sex and they agreed to lie about what they were doing if challenged, DI Hunter told the hearing. As an example, the detective said Sutcliffe texted Pc A at 1.41am while he was on a night shift in July 2024, asking where to park at her house and leaving the boot of his vehicle open, indicating he was a dog handler.
Public encounters and misconduct
There was then a further message at 4.17am, which is said to have indicated that "sexual contact had occurred". It was later clarified that the sexual activity took place while he was stood down from his dog handler duties at the end of a night shift. On another night shift in September 2024, Sutcliffe sent Pc A sexually explicit pictures and videos, the hearing was told.
DI Hunter said mobile phone evidence also revealed the pair had sex in public places while off-duty. A message he sent Pc A in August 2024 referred to Sutcliffe's "wish to have sex outside and makes reference to a previous encounter in a car park in broad daylight which he described as risky", DI Hunter said. He suggested possible locations and later texts suggested it had taken place, the hearing was told. In December 2024, there was a message from Sutcliffe which referred to "enjoying the risk".
During his interview, Mr Sutcliffe stated that he and Pc A were "merely friends", suggesting that the allegations against him may have been "malicious". He then messaged her to say that he had denied their relationship to investigators, and asked her to do the same. DI Hunter said Sutcliffe revealed confidential details to Pc A when another officer was arrested at his home in July 2025 when there was no policing purpose to do so.
Response and outcome
Ms Fuller said Sutcliffe made a written submission, accepting his conduct amounted to misconduct but suggesting it fell short of gross misconduct. Pc Adam Woodland, for the Police Federation on behalf of Sutcliffe, said the former officer did not believe his performance had been affected and that colleagues would support that. Reading a statement on his behalf, Pc Woodland said: "I apologise for the areas where I fell short and I have reflected on them."
Sutcliffe also queried why Pc A had not faced disciplinary action. The Chief Constable said she believed that needed further consideration by the Appropriate Authority. Regarding the texts sent while on duty, Ms Fuller said: "The sheer volume and contents implies there must have been some distraction from his commitment to work which would have inevitably interfered with the proper performance of his duty."
The Chief Constable said Sutcliffe, who joined the force in 2005, will be barred from future service. On the Police Interceptor website, Sutcliffe was listed as an advanced driver trained in tactical pursuit, an armed response officer, a medic, a public order instructor and a family liaison officer.
