A former police officer in Staffordshire would have been dismissed had he not resigned, an investigation has found.

Staffordshire Police said former officer Lewis Edwards was found to have engaged in "unwanted and inappropriate conversation with colleagues and showed colleagues inappropriate images on his mobile phone" following an investigation by the force's Anti-Corruption Unit.

Edwards, who was a police constable based in the north of the county, resigned in April 2025.

A one-day gross misconduct hearing was chaired by Former Senior Officer Mrs Debenham on Wednesday 5 August.

The hearing found that Edwards had breached the standards of authority, respect and courtesy, orders and instructions, and discreditable conduct. This amounted to gross misconduct.

Deputy Chief Constable Caroline Marsh said: "Although Edwards resigned before the conclusion of these proceedings, the outcome of this hearing makes clear that he would have been dismissed had he remained a serving officer.

"Every officer and member of staff has the right to work in an environment where they are treated with dignity and respect. The findings of this hearing demonstrate that Lewis Edwards' conduct was wholly inappropriate and incompatible with the values of policing.

"I would like to thank those who came forward and supported the investigation. Reporting concerns takes courage, and we are committed to ensuring that all allegations of inappropriate behaviour are thoroughly investigated.

advertisement

Edwards has been placed on the national College of Policing's Barred List, which prevents him from working within policing and other law enforcement bodies.