Police officer accused of Nazi salute and derogatory comments about transgender children

A Lincolnshire Police officer is alleged to have made derogatory remarks about transgender children and suggested their parents should be shot, a misconduct hearing was told on Wednesday.

The officer is said to have made inappropriate comments and a gesture to colleagues while working at Lincoln’s West Parade police station.

PC Michael Colbourne, who was working in the force traffic investigations unit, is alleged to have said that it was like working for the Gestapo and given a Nazi-style salute to a work colleague.

Liz Briggs, for Lincolnshire Police, told the misconduct hearing at the force headquarters that in December last year PC Colbourne was asked to leave the traffic processing office by the civilian manager Beverley Hewitt because he was disrupting the work of staff.

“She asked the officer to leave. The officer was heard to say ‘It’s like working for the Gestapo.’ The officer accepts making that comment.”

Ms Briggs said that as PC Colbourne left the room at Lincoln Police Station he was seen to make a Nazi salute.

“It was akin to a Nazi salute raising his right arm straight up in the air before exiting the office.”

The officer denies making a Nazi salute and says he was simply waving to a colleague as he walked out of the office.

Beverley Hewitt, in evidence, said she did not see the salute but described PC Colbourne as disruptive.

She said: “The workload was target driven so we are a very busy office. He would display disruptive behaviour two or three times a week. I would say it was every time he was in the office.”

Ms Briggs said that a month later PC Colbourne walked into the same office and made derogatory comments about transgender and gender fluid people.

She told the hearing that the officer said “all these 12-year-olds who don’t know what their gender is. It’s their parents’ fault. They should all be lined up and shot.”

He was also heard to say “All these transgenders. They are lunatics. They are wrong in the head. Their parents are to blame.”

The misconduct hearing was told that at the time of the incidents PC Colbourne was on a final written warning.

The officer is alleged to have breached the standards of professional behaviour on three grounds – discreditable conduct; equality and diversity; and authority, respect and courtesy.

The breaches involve inappropriate comments and gestures alleged to have been made in the workplace on December 17, 2018 and on January 17, 2019. He denies the breaches.

The hearing continues on Thursday, August 1.