A former police officer accused of "unwanted sexual conduct" has been cleared of the allegations by a police misconduct panel.

Former Cleveland Police officer Thomas Charles Vickers was accused of touching a woman’s bottom without her consent during a night out at Flares in Middlesbrough on August 13, 2022.

But a panel reviewing the evidence were 'not satisfied that it was more likely than not that the incidents leading to the allegations had happened as suggested'.

The misconduct hearing was told he resigned from Cleveland Police on December 6 last year.

He was accused of failing to act with self-control, failing to treat Ms A with courtesy and respect and engaged in unwanted conduct and/or unwanted conduct of a sexual nature towards Ms A.

The allegations, if proven, would have amounted to gross misconduct and breach the Standards of Professional Behaviour for police officers, specifically the standards of:

  • Authority, Respect and Courtesy;
  • Equality and Diversity;
  • Discreditable Conduct.

An independent disciplinary panel sitting in Stockton heard evidence from Ms A as well as Mr Vickers.

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The panel found former PC Vickers 'gave a consistent account throughout' the hearing and Ms A 'did not see who touched her bottom' and the account of the alleged touching was given differently on different occasions by the victim.

The panel concluded: “We found that Ms A was a witness who did her best to give an honest account.

“There was no malice in her making the complaint. Ms A did not see who touched her bottom.

“Although Ms A’s definition of what happened is not material to our classification of it, she was very reluctant to class it as sexual touching and did not wish to pursue it as a criminal matter.

“We are not satisfied that it was more likely than not that the incidents leading to the allegations had happened as suggested.”