Neil Wilby Media

The headline to this article were the words of Traffic Constable Adam Smith from the North Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Group in September, 2022.

Members of the public in rural villages around Selby had contacted police to express how concerned they were when using roads in and around Brotherton and Fairburn on a Sunday night. 

Both villages sitting right by the former A1 trunk road, now re-branded the less busy A162 since the opening of the nearby A1(M).

The force said at the time that over the preceding couple of months they had seen “the Sunday cruise” breifly pass into North Yorkshire. Upwards of a hundred cars drive in and out of the county in quick succession.

As a result, officers from the force’s Roads Policing Group set up a dedicated road safety operation with patrols taking place every Sunday night to observe the driving of participants. The police said that offences would be swiftly dealt with in the form of education and, where necessary, prosecution.

Officers worked with other neighbouring police forces to share information and work on a collaborative approach to tackle the issue.

Traffic Constable Adam Smith was selected to front the campaign and he features centrally in the video clip embedded in this article.

An unfortunate choice, in the event, as NYP has announced, in a very recent notice on its website, that TC Smith faces an accelerated misconduct hearing to face allegations that he has breached the Standard of Professional Behaviour in relation to Discreditable Conduct.

The Panel will be chaired by newly installed chief constable, Tim Forber, and is scheduled for Thursday 24th May, 2024 beginning at 10h00. 

The hearing will take place at Police Headquarters, Alverton Court, Crosby Road, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL6 1BF.

The force has specified the allegations as follows:

 Allegation 1

At or about 0814 hours you drove on the A1(M) at Boroughbridge (northbound) at a speed of 98 mile per hour.

1. You did so at a time when there was no policing purpose for the journey.

Allegation 2

1. During the same journey as in allegation 1 you drove on the A1(M) (northbound) at speeds of up to 154 miles per hour.

1. You did so at a time when there was no policing purpose for the journey.

It is the case of the Appropriate Authority that the above conduct breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to Discreditable Conduct and amount to gross misconduct collectively or individually.

One of the sanctions open to the Panel is dismissal without notice. Others are a written warning or final written warning.

The force has not stated when the alleged offences took place or whether TC Smith has remained on normal duties; or was placed on restricted duties, or suspended, when the offences came to light.

It is also not clear whether the officer was prosecuted over the alleged offences.

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Page last updated: Saturday 18th May, 2024 at 08h45

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Picture credit: NYP

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