Former Police Detective Sacked After Secret Affair with Junior Colleague
A former Detective Inspector has been dismissed from the police force after using his work mobile phone to conceal a secret relationship with a junior colleague. The misconduct hearing revealed that Adam Walker, who served with Nottinghamshire Police, engaged in behaviour that was deemed completely unacceptable and has no place in any police force.
Concealed Relationship and Sexualised Messages
Walker provided his force-issued mobile phone to a junior colleague, referred to as Person A, while he was working at West Yorkshire Police in 2023. This was done to hide their relationship, and Person A was instructed to use a messaging app that would keep their communications secret. When questioned by management, Walker denied the existence of the relationship.
After transferring to Nottinghamshire Police as a Detective Inspector on September 15, 2023, Walker continued his inappropriate conduct. He travelled outside the force area during work hours to visit Person A while on duty. Additionally, he asked another junior female colleague, known as Person B, to exchange personal numbers and then sent her sexualised messages. Walker told Person B to delete their chat history and hide the messages to avoid detection.
Misconduct Hearing Findings
The misconduct hearing, held in February 2026, found that Walker's actions amounted to gross misconduct. A panel determined that he breached multiple standards of behaviour, including:
- Integrity: Failing to act with honesty and propriety.
- Authority, Respect, and Courtesy: Abusing his position and showing disrespect to colleagues.
- Duties and Responsibilities: Neglecting his professional obligations.
- Discreditable Conduct: Engaging in behaviour that undermines public confidence in the police.
Walker resigned ahead of the hearing, but the panel concluded that he would have been dismissed if he had still been serving. He has now been placed on the barred list, which prohibits him from serving in any police force in the future.
Police Response and Accountability
Temporary Chief Constable Steve Cooper of Nottinghamshire Police stated, "The behaviour exhibited by this former officer is completely unacceptable and has no place in any police force. As soon as this behaviour was reported, a thorough investigation was carried out by Nottinghamshire Police's professional standards directorate, which led to today’s hearing."
Cooper added, "I would like to thank the officers who came forward and called out this officer’s appalling actions. The vast majority of police officers and staff maintain the highest possible professional standards, which makes it even more important we address instances where individuals’ behaviour has fallen short of these expectations."
This case highlights the critical importance of accountability and ethical conduct within police forces, ensuring that such misconduct is promptly investigated and addressed to maintain public trust and professional integrity.
