Police officer banned from profession

A former police officer has been banned from the profession for maintaining a friendship with a convicted sex offender who subjected children to serious abuse.

Philip Reeves not only kept an association with the criminal serving a 30-year sentence, he made derogatory comments about the young victims, misconduct proceedings heard.

Reeves, who served as a PC for Cheshire Police, failed to report the connection in line with policy, provided misleading accounts regarding the nature and extent of the friendship, and later denied he was dishonest.

The hearing ruled Reeves would have been dismissed without notice for gross misconduct had he not resigned two days prior.