NORTHUMBRIA Police has confirmed it is fighting the decision of an appeal tribunal which overturned the dismissal of a PC.

Katie Barratt was dismissed at a misconduct hearing last year after she used racist language while off-duty on a night out.

However, the officer appealed the decision and was reinstated by an independent appeal tribunal last month.

Northumbria Police’s Deputy Chief Constable Darren Best said: “It is important and right that the communities we serve know that Northumbria Police are fighting the decision of an independent Police appeal tribunal to reinstate PC Katie Barratt.

“First and foremost, the language used by the officer that night was abhorrent. I want to be absolutely clear that racist language is completely unacceptable.

“I am extremely disappointed by the appeal tribunal’s decision and as a force we are committed to challenging this and will therefore be applying for judicial review.

“We are also seeking a court order to support our position that the officer should not return to work during these proceedings or receive the back salary the Tribunal directed be paid."

“It is important to understand that the Appeal Tribunal was completely independent of Northumbria Police.

“It is also important to recognise that we are still awaiting the final written judgement in relation to the tribunal decision, which was due within three working days of the hearing. This would have further clarified the options available to us, but feel we have now reached a position where we are not prepared to wait any longer before progressing this matter.

He added: “I want to assure the public that the actions of one individual are not representative of the officers and staff who display unwavering professionalism and commitment every single day, as they protect the communities we serve and in doing so they have my full and absolute support."

Dep Chief Con Best also praised the officer who reported the incident.

He said: “I also want to take this opportunity to reiterate that the officer who reported the matter did absolutely the right thing and their actions properly reflect the culture within the Force, where people can have the confidence to speak up and challenge unacceptable behaviour.”