A Cleveland Police sergeant has been dismissed after cannabis was found at his home. Anthony Simpson, a 15-year veteran of the force, was discovered with two hand-rolled cannabis cigarettes during a search in March. One of the cigarettes had been partially smoked and contained his DNA.
Simpson admitted possession and received a £90 penalty notice. At a misconduct hearing in Thornaby, he claimed he had never smoked cannabis in his life and had never failed a drugs test. He stated he had struggled with anxiety and mental health issues and had considered smoking the cigarettes at his lowest point but never did.
However, Chief Constable Mark Webster rejected Simpson's explanation, stating it was not plausible that the officer forgot he had the cannabis, and noted that Simpson had not identified where the drug came from. The hearing found Simpson guilty of gross misconduct, leading to his dismissal.
