A FEMALE police officer based at Redditch has been dismissed for submitting false time sheets following a three day public misconduct hearing.

West Mercia Police officer PC Ellaine Graham has been dismissed from the force with immediate effect as of the end of the hearing on Thursday (September 14).

The 51-year-old had completed 13 years' service as a constable most recently based at Redditch and, prior to that, seven years' service as a member of police staff.

The hearing was conducted at Leek Wootton in Warwickshire by Andrea Pitt, an independent, legally qualified chair.

It followed an investigation by the Professional Standards Department of Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police.

The allegations against the officer centred around arrangements via a payroll provider employed by the council for her mother's care in 2015.

The panel determined that four allegations against the officer were proven.

These are that she completed, signed and submitted a timesheet for the period 28/09/15 to 25/10/15 containing false information; that she completed, signed and submitted a timesheet for the period 26/10/15 to 22/11/15, containing false information; that she completed, signed and submitted a timesheet for the period 26/10/15 to 08/11/15 containing false information; and that on 08/11/15 she completed, signed and submitted an employee looking leavers form containing false information which she knew or ought to have known was false.

Three further allegations were found not proven.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Goosen, deputy head of professional standards, said: "The panel found that PC Graham's actions amounted to gross misconduct and breached the standards of professional behaviour in the area of honesty and integrity.  It is for this reason she was dismissed with immediate effect."

The outcome of the misconduct hearing is subject to the normal appeals process.