Former officer added to barred list after gross misconduct proven

A former police officer who deliberately held down keys on his laptop to make it appear as if he was working when he wasn’t, has been barred from policing.

PC Liam Reakes, who was based in Yeovil, was found to have committed gross misconduct at an accelerated misconduct hearing held at Police Headquarters on Monday (9 June). He would have been dismissed if he hadn’t already resigned and will be added to the national barred list, preventing him from working in policing or other law enforcement agencies again.

Misconduct panel chair Craig Holden heard how between June and September 2024, PC Reakes held down keys at regular intervals, resulting in the loss of more than 100 hours of work time.

His actions came to light following an audit of keystrokes carried out in September 2024, which flagged PC Reakes’ total as significantly higher than colleagues in similar roles.

Det Supt Larisa Hunt, head of the Professional Standards Department, said: “PC Reakes was the subject of an action plan and was allocated a tutor due to concerns over his performance prior to the keyboard audit being carried out.

“The use of any device or system to replicate keyboard activity is wholly wrong and deceptive and the public will be rightly outraged at this behaviour. Not only has he let down those he made a commitment to serve and protect but he’s also let down his colleagues, who are continuing to deal with significant pressure and workloads.

“We’re continually reminding line managers of their key responsibilities to hold regular check-ins, one-to-ones, and reviews, so the wellbeing and capacity of their staff can be properly monitored. It’s also important for performance issues to be identified early and any necessary support or training put in place to help resolve them.”

The full outcome report will be added to the misconduct hearings section of our website when it’s available.