Reform UK stands by councillor sacked by police

A Reform UK assembly person has defended 1 of his recently elected colleagues aft it was revealed helium had been sacked from his relation arsenic a constabulary officer.

Andrew Hamilton-Gray won a spot connected Leicestershire County Council successful this month's section elections erstwhile Reform became the largest enactment connected the authority.

However, it has emerged Hamilton-Gray was dismissed by Leicestershire Police past twelvemonth aft a misconduct proceeding recovered helium had called successful sick, to question to Spain, erstwhile helium should person been moving arsenic a PC.

Dan Harrison, who was elected arsenic the council's person connected Wednesday, told the BBC the erstwhile constabulary serviceman was an "honourable, decent man".

Hamilton-Gray was elected to the elder civic relation arsenic region assembly vice-chairman connected Wednesday.

Former Conservative assembly person Deborah Taylor called for the councillor, who represents the Loughborough North West division, to beryllium suspended, claiming captious accusation astir him had been withheld from the electorate.

The BBC approached Hamilton-Gray astir these remarks but helium said helium had been advised not to comment.

When asked if determination would beryllium a suspension, Harrison said this would not happen.

"It's unfortunate, but he's an guiltless idiosyncratic - he's not doing thing wrong," helium said.

"I'm defending him powerfully due to the fact that he's an honourable, decent man."

Hamilton-Gray was sacked by Leicestershire Police for breaching nonrecreational standards connected "honesty and integrity, discreditable conduct, orders and instructions, and duties and responsibilities".

His leafage connected LinkedIn advertises a consultancy advising "high-end dealerships successful the luxury car market".

Leicestershire Police Federation, which represented the erstwhile officer, has confirmed that his misconduct proceeding related to selling luxury cars.

The sheet heard that the unit had fixed him support to tally a car income concern successful his ain time.

The misconduct sheet heard that PC Gray, arsenic helium was past known, applied for permission to present a car to Barcelona successful April 2023.

Part of his permission petition was rejected. But a week later, helium booked a instrumentality ferry summons from Portsmouth, returning implicit 2 days erstwhile helium was scheduled to work.

He reported successful sick lone hours earlier the outward sailing, the sheet heard.

A period later, 2 constabulary officers stopped PC Gray successful the rider spot of a vintage reddish Porsche. The sheet heard that helium was giving a imaginable purchaser a trial thrust portion helium was signed disconnected sick.

After PC Gray's dismissal, Leicestershire's past Chief Constable Rob Nixon described his behaviour arsenic "deliberate" and "planned" deception.

Hamilton-Gray has been connected the College of Policing barred database since his dismissal from the force.