Senior police officer secretly recorded women 'for sexual gratification'

Humberside Police has published a report which stated that Superintendent Edward Cook, 47, was dismissed without notice for gross misconduct, at a disciplinary hearing which was held behind closed doors in January 2019.

The report also stated Inspector Scott Snowden, 51, and a police constable who has not been named, were both found guilty of gross misconduct at the same hearing, after they exchanged inappropriate and offensive messages with Cook.

Another six officers were found guilty of gross misconduct, at a separate hearing in July 2019, after an investigation uncovered a WhatsApp group containing sexist, racist, homophobic, misogynistic and anti-Semitic messages.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Marshall said a report detailing the “deplorable” actions of these officers could not be published while Cook and Snowden were facing criminal charges.

They were each charged with one count of sending grossly offensive messages, but were acquitted at Leeds Magistrates Court last month.

According to the report, Cook secretly recorded police officers, police staff and members of the public without their consent and “for his own sexual gratification”, between 2011 and 2018.

He was also found to have hired a prostitute in Cleethorpes in 2003, used cannabis over a three-year period, exchanged inappropriate messages with Snowden and sent details about a sensitive armed police operation to a local journalist.

The report stated Snowden sent messages which were “misogynistic and suggestive of violence” and inappropriate images to his colleague over a four-year period. He also watched porn on his phone while he was on duty in 2018.

Humberside Police said he would have been dismissed, if he had not resigned at an earlier date.

A separate investigation into “deeply offensive” messages of a WhatsApp group, resulted in three officers being dismissed. A fourth officer was told he would have been sacked, if he had not quit.

Another two were given final written warnings, as their messages were “not as persistent and targeted as some other messages in the WhatsApp Group”.

According to the report, homophobic, racist, sexist remarks were made about police officers and members of the public over a nine-month period. One officer also made an anti-semetic comment.

None of the officers who sent the messages were named in the report.

Assistant Chief Constable Marshall said: “The actions of these officers were deplorable and Humberside Police, its leadership and more importantly, our staff will not stand for this behaviour.

“When this information came to light, we acted swiftly and robustly, and sought to bring appropriate sanctions to those involved. That has meant that seven of those involved have been dismissed and no longer work in policing.”

“The delay in reporting this to the public has been as a result of ongoing criminal proceedings in relation to some of the officers and their behaviours."

He added: “I would like to reassure the community that while the actions of these officers may have tarnished their view of the police service, these aren’t the beliefs held by the overwhelming majority of officers at Humberside Police.

"I, along with the rest of my team, continue to identify and tackle anyone whose beliefs and behaviours do not match the values of Humberside Police.”