A former Cleveland Police sergeant who appeared in the Channel 5 documentary series Police Interceptors has been found guilty of gross misconduct after engaging in "risky" public sex with a probationary officer and sending thousands of explicit messages while on duty.
Ben Sutcliffe, a former temporary sergeant and dog handler, resigned from the force in February and did not attend his disciplinary hearing in Stockton, Teesside, on Wednesday (21 October).
Chief Constable's ruling
Chief Constable Victoria Fuller ruled that Sutcliffe's actions amounted to gross misconduct, stating that had he still been a serving officer, he would have been dismissed immediately. She described his behaviour as "very serious", adding that he had displayed "dishonesty over an extended period of time".
The hearing was told that Sutcliffe, who joined Cleveland Police in 2005, was in a supervisory role with the Stockton response team when he began a relationship with a probationary officer, referred to as Pc A, in June or July 2024. Detective Inspector Holly Hunter, of the force's Professional Standards Department, revealed that rumours of the affair were initially investigated in August 2025.
Relationship and messages
When interviewed, Sutcliffe denied the relationship, claiming they were "merely friends" and suggesting the allegations might be "malicious". He subsequently instructed Pc A to lie to investigators as well. However, in November last year, Pc A admitted to investigators that they had been in a relationship. A subsequent forensic examination of her mobile phone uncovered 57,568 WhatsApp messages and 6,631 text messages exchanged between the pair, many of which were sexually explicit.
On one occasion during a night shift in July 2024, Sutcliffe texted Pc A at 1:41am asking where to park at her home while leaving the boot of his police vehicle open. Texts sent at 4:17am indicated sexual activity had taken place while he was stood down from his dog handler duties. On another night shift in September 2024, Sutcliffe sent explicit pictures and videos to Pc A.
Public encounters and confidential information
Mobile phone evidence showed the pair engaged in sex in public places while off-duty. Messages sent by Sutcliffe referenced enjoying the "risk" of being caught, including a previous encounter in a car park in broad daylight. Chief Constable Fuller noted: "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 panel also found that Sutcliffe had passed confidential details to Pc A regarding the arrest of another police officer at his home in July 2025, without any legitimate policing purpose. By August 2025, Sutcliffe texted Pc A stating he was applying for "health and safety jobs" because he was "expecting the worst and needed to get back-up options in place".
Apology and outcome
In a statement read on his behalf by Pc Adam Woodland of the Police Federation, Sutcliffe offered an apology: "I apologise for the areas where I fell short and I have reflected on them." While he acknowledged his conduct amounted to misconduct, he argued it fell short of gross misconduct and denied his job performance was affected. He also questioned why Pc A had not faced disciplinary action - a matter Chief Constable Fuller noted required further consideration by the Appropriate Authority.
Sutcliffe, who was previously listed on the Police Interceptors website as an advanced driver, armed response officer, medic, and public order instructor, will now be barred from future police service.
