A FORMER sergeant at Wiltshire Police made ‘sexualised comments’ to a female colleague, a gross misconduct hearing found.

Had former Police Sergeant John Brixey not resigned, he would have been sacked from the force, a hearing on Wednesday (May 10) concluded.

It found that between June and August 2022, Mr Brixey made comments on multiple occasions to a police officer who was under his direct supervision. He resigned in November 2022.

The gross misconduct hearing was held at Wiltshire Police Headquarters in Devizes, overseen by a legally qualified chair.

The allegations were upheld and concluded that had Mr Brixey not already resigned, he would be dismissed without notice.

He will now be entered onto the national barred list which will prevent him from working within any police force in England and Wales, therefore providing important protection to the public.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills said: “Mr Brixey’s actions breached the high standards of professional behaviour we expect from all of our officers and staff.

“I would like to apologise on behalf of the Force to the officer who Mr Brixey directed his inappropriate behaviour towards, as well as anybody else affected by his actions.

“His actions, on multiple occasions between June and August 2022, go against the values at the core of our organisation.

“There is no place in Wiltshire Police for anyone who conducts themselves in this manner, and although Mr Brixey had already resigned, he will also be placed on the national barred list which will ensure he will not be able to work in policing in future.

“I appreciate that news of Mr Brixey’s conduct will understandably cause concern within our communities. We are committed to ensuring every single member of our organisation maintains the highest standards of behaviour when carrying out their duties, and we will act robustly if this is found to not be the case.

“Further, I would encourage any member of the community who may have concerns about the conduct or professionalism of any of my officers or staff to contact the Force Professional Standards Department via 101, CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”