Essex Police officer who used Boots products cleared of wrongdoing

The hearing, which started at 10am on Friday morning and was chaired by Chief Constable BJ Harrington, set out a series of events which took place in the Lion Walk branch of Boots last September.

The panel deliberated over legal wranglings until 3pm before the hearing itself began an hour later.

The panel heard how on Saturday, September 2, PC Lissimore tested £20.13 of Boots hair products which included L’Oreal hair oil and a Toni and Guy hair mask.

A member of staff, Calvin Dickson, saw PC Lissimore on CCTV applying the products to her hair and informed store assistant manager Charlie Payne.

Products - the misconduct hearing took place because Ms Lissimore was found to use products in Boots without paying for them (Image: Newsquest)

At roughly the same time, Mr Dickson also took a picture of the CCTV still image and sent it to his wife, Amy Dickson - a colleague of PC Lissimore.

Mrs Dickson then informed a sergeant of what happened and the matter was brought before a panel of nine on Friday as police officers and legal representatives questioned PC Lissimore.

The panel was told how PC Lissimore, 29, became a police officer at Essex Police in October 2022.

PC Lissimore – who was scrutinised by Essex Police’s legal representative Joanne Kane, Chief Constable Harrington and defence barrister Russell Haldane – strongly denied the suggestion put to her that she used the products knowing they weren’t testers.

She said: “Generally speaking, there would be a plastic seal on the tub – they either click open or they have got a plastic rind you have to take off.”

Headquarters - the misconduct hearing was held at Essex Police's head offices (Image: Essex Police)

The panel heard how the Boots assistant manager told PC Lissimore the products were not for testing.

PC Lissimore apologised and queued to buy a bottle of water and chewing gum ten minutes later.

When Mr Haldane asked PC Lissimore how the disciplinary proceedings had affected her, she said: “It’s very traumatising.

“I’m very passionate about my career – I’ve got short-term and long-term aspirations within the job.”

When asked how the process had made her feel, PC Lissimore replied: “It’s been devastating.”

BJ Harrington later added: “I’ve been in too many of these – I know the difference between gross misconduct and misconduct.”

Mr Harrington found PC Lissimore had not breached standards of honesty and integrity, but warned her against "carelessness" in future.