01 June 2024 , 12:54
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A police officer who once warned speeding drivers that "this is not Silverstone'' has been given the boot for hitting 154 mph in a patrol car while on duty.
PC Adam Smith was shown the door by North Yorkshire Police after a disciplinary hearing found him guilty of gross misconduct. Smith was nabbed driving at 154 mph and 98 mph during the same journey, shortly after featuring in a force promotional video aimed at putting the brakes on 'street racing'.
The hearing, which took place on Friday, May 24, heard both incidents happened on the A1(M) northbound and there was "no police purpose for the excessive speed". Smith admitted his actions breached the standard of professional behaviour and amounted to Gross Misconduct, according to a report from the hearing.
Smith was promptly dismissed and added to the college of policing barred list. North Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Tim Forber, who oversaw the misconduct hearing, said: "I am rightly concerned about the number of persons killed or seriously injured on the road network. The primary cause of this is excess speed and the force rightly undertakes extensive speed enforcement and prevention activity.
"The actions of PC Smith, driving at speeds of up to 154mph with no policing purpose for doing so, have undermined the legitimacy of the force in this regard."
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Smith, the face of North Yorkshire's Selby district's 2022 crackdown on street racing, was filmed during a patrol warning drivers that "this is Selby not Silverstone" after reports of over 100 cars taking part in a regular 'Sunday cruise' in the area.
Smith disclosed that local residents from rural villages had contacted the police, prompting them to set up a dedicated road safety operation to keep an eye on the area every Sunday. Speaking to the camera, he said: "We are out in force tonight and as the night has gone on, we have seen upwards of 100 cars in and around the area," according to Yorkshire Live.
Purely by being here, we quelled issues, however we have still seen unfortunately some bad driving. By being marked down here in a constant presence as the night goes on, we should hopefully see a reduction in the issues we've been having down here," reports Teesside Live.