A student police officer in Bristol has been dismissed after working as a football referee and behind a bar without permission while suspended or on sick leave. PC Louis Cosway, who was based in Bristol, was found guilty of gross misconduct at a hearing on Monday, June 9, and has been barred from policing for life.
The misconduct panel heard that in November 2023, Cosway was suspended for an unrelated matter, which was lifted the following April when he was placed on restricted duties before going on sick leave for six months. However, in December 2023, he submitted a business interest application to Avon & Somerset Police to work as a paid referee for the Football Association. He was informed in February 2024 that permission had been refused, but by then he had already refereed seven matches for cash-in-hand in Shirehampton while still suspended.
Additionally, Cosway completed 13 paid shifts at a bar in Newport between July and December last year while on sick leave, without requesting permission. Barrister Mark Ley-Morgan, representing the constabulary, told the hearing that the officer did not submit a business interest application for the bar work because he knew it was unlikely to be approved. He said such work could create a conflict of interest for police officers.
Cosway admitted breaching standards of professional behaviour and misconduct but denied gross misconduct. The panel found that working behind a bar after having a previous business interest request turned down amounted to gross misconduct, while working as a football referee without authorisation constituted misconduct. Panel chairman Craig Holden said Cosway was entirely responsible for his actions and that a right-minded member of the public would think what he did was wrong.
Det Supt Larisa Hunt, head of the police standards department, said: 'PC Cosway carried out paid employment as a referee and a bar worker, without obtaining the necessary permission, as he’s required to do under the Police Regulations 2003. His actions were deliberate and the work he carried out was either undertaken when he was under suspension or when he was on long-term sick leave. This is completely unacceptable behaviour.'
