14 Hertfordshire police officers banned from serving in past year

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 3 Nov, 13:18 · Archive

Fourteen Hertfordshire Police officers were barred from policing in the past year, the highest number in six years.

Fourteen Hertfordshire Police officers were barred from the profession in the past year, the highest number in six years, College of Policing statistics show. This is part of a broader trend: 71 Hertfordshire officers have been barred since 2020, and nationally 757 officers were added to the barred list in 2025-26, the highest since records began in 2017. The Metropolitan Police had the most, with 195 officers barred, followed by Greater Manchester Police with 46 and West Midlands Police with 38.

Among the cases cited was former Hertfordshire Police constable Jamie Hornett, barred after being found to have verbally abused and threatened violence against fellow officers, spat at a constable and headbutted an inspector before being detained under the Mental Health Act. In another case, William Owen was barred for punching a drunk man four times while on duty in Watford in 2024 and spraying PAVA, an incapacitant similar to pepper spray, at close range.

Hertfordshire Police's Deputy Chief Constable Andy Mariner said: 'It is disappointing when people fall short of the standards we and the public expect. The public rightly expects high standards from everyone in policing and we are committed to upholding those standards in Hertfordshire.' Arman Mathieson, director of operational standards at the College of Policing, said: 'Policing is built on trust and these figures show we will not hesitate to act when that trust is broken.'

How it is being reported

• 71 Hertfordshire officers barred from policing since 2020, new figures revealNew figures have revealed that 71 Hertfordshire Police officers have been barred from the profession since the start of the decade.Watford Observer · 3 Nov, 12:01
• 14 Herts Police officers banned from serving following misconduct proceedingsThe number of Hertfordshire police officers banned from serving following misconduct proceedings has reached its highest level in six years, new figures reveal.Hemel Gazette · 2 Nov, 17:00

In this story: Hertfordshire Police · College of Policing · Jamie Hornett · William Owen · Andy Mariner · Watford · Metropolitan Police · Greater Manchester Police

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