A senior Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed and permanently barred from working in policing after a disciplinary panel found he repeatedly lied about his qualifications and drove marked patrol cars at high speed on blue lights without any authorisation to do so.
Chief Inspector Andrew Du, based at the Met’s Central North Command Unit, faced three allegations at a misconduct hearing that concluded on Monday. All three were found proven, with the panel determining the conduct amounted to gross misconduct serious enough to warrant immediate dismissal.
The hearing established that on more than one occasion Du drove a marked police vehicle at excessive speed with blue lights and sirens activated, despite having only basic driver status. That level of qualification specifically prevents an officer from driving on blue lights or at speed. The authorised training required for that type of driving had never been completed, and his actions were found to have placed both members of the public and fellow officers at risk.
Alongside the driving misconduct, Du had told colleagues and supervisors that he held qualifications to drive an area car, a high-performance police vehicle, when no such qualification existed. He had also claimed to have previously served with the Metropolitan Police’s firearms command, a team he had never been part of in any capacity.
The panel found Du had breached professional standards relating to honesty and integrity, compliance with orders and instructions, and discreditable conduct.
As a consequence of his dismissal, Du will be added to the College of Policing’s barred list, which prevents individuals from being employed by police forces or a range of other policing-related organisations.
Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who oversees policing in the Central North area, said the conduct had fallen far below what the public rightly expects from Metropolitan Police officers and emphasised that leaders within the force must demonstrate the highest standards.
