A POLICE officer who ‘helped himself’ to seven fry-ups from his work canteen just one week into his new job will never be allowed to work for the police again.

PC Jamie Larman took the meals from the cafeteria at the Thames Valley Police training centre in Sulhamstead near Reading, despite knowing he wasn’t entitled to them for free because he lived less than 20 miles away in Abingdon.

One morning, between January 29 and February 6, he sat down to eat the full English breakfast and another officer overheard him saying: “I’m not entitled to this, but I should be, I only live just outside the boundary.”

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When asked to put across his version of events at a misconduct hearing in front of the head of the police last week he said he had done it to ‘build rapport’ with colleagues who met up before training.

But the Chief constable John Campbell threw out his defence, saying it was ‘nonsense’ and that ‘he has no place in TVP’.

Oxford Mail:

The police training centre at Sulhamstead. Picture: Google Maps

PC Larman had been a Police Community Support Officer (PSCO) since May last year before starting his new role as a constable in January.

But two weeks into training and four days after he was challenged about stealing breakfasts, PC Larman quit.

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In misconduct hearing documents it was also revealed that the ex-officer was given a warning last year when he was caught doing the same thing before a training day as a PSCO.

Police officers and staff at the training HQ can enrol to stay on-site if they live more than 20 ‘crow’ miles away from the base.

Residents are given complimentary breakfasts and dinners and non-residents, those who live closer to the centre, have to pay for all their meals – if they want it.

Oxford Mail:

Thames Valley Police headquarters in Kidlington, where misconduct hearings are held.

Mr Campbell said he had ‘de facto’ stolen the breakfasts from TVP, and knew full well that he was breaking the rules.

He said: “He states that the reason for his actions were to build rapport with colleagues who met early for breakfast ahead of training.

"I consider this nonsense.

"He could have fulfilled this objective by paying for his own food and not stealing from TVP."

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Mr Campbell said that PC Larman had 'helped himself' to the food and had not made any attempt to pay until he was challenged by colleagues on February 6.

He added: “To compound this, there is evidence he behaved similarly as a PSCO. He was fully aware of the force rules and that he was therefore not entitled to free food.

“It was not a ‘mistake’ as he suggests – it was wilful and dishonest. He has no place in TVP.

“If he was still serving I would have dismissed him without notice. He will be placed on the COP [College of Policing] barred list.”

He is now banned from ever applying to a job in any UK police force again.