A POLICE constable who twice stole a personal trainer's bank card at a gym and used it at a nearby shop has been sacked.

Amelia Lancaster, of West Yorkshire Police took the card from the PT's wallet, a misconduct hearing heard.

Lancaster, who did not attend the hearing, was said to be "very embarrassed" and “truly remorseful” for her actions.

Last October, she accepted a criminal caution for theft and fraud by false representation.

The force's Chief Constable John Robins said Lancaster's behaviour "undermines the public’s trust in the police".

He decided to dismiss her without notice, adding: "There can be no place in policing for an officer who conducts themselves in such a way."

A report told how Lancaster first stole the bank card and used it to buy an item for herself on August 31, 2023.

She committed the same offence exactly a week later on September 7.

The report said Lancaster to this day has "no answers as to why she has acted in such a way" and wished to "apologise sincerely to everyone involved for her actions and behaviour". 

Mr Robins said: "Both the conduct and the subsequent caution bring serious discredit on policing in general."

He added: "The public rightly expects police officers to obey and uphold the law, both on and off duty.

"Members of the public would be gravely concerned to know that an officer had not only stolen cash and a bank card belonging to another person, but that card was fraudulently used to buy goods, and that they had a criminal caution arising out of that conduct."

He did take into account the offending was over a "relatively short period" and Lancaster's unblemished police record.

However, Mr Robins added: "The officer is highly culpable and her conduct was intentional and deliberate.

"The offences occurred on more than one occasion; she was dishonest to the owners of the gym, who had allowed her to use the office because they trusted her. She breached that trust."

It comes only a month after another misconduct hearing heard how a police officer had been drink-driving when she crashed her car with a three-year-old child.

Abigail Pigram was more than twice over the legal limit when the collision took place on Vale Mill Lane in Keighley in August 2022.

She was later convicted of drink-driving and given a 12-month driving ban.

The panel found that Pigram was guilty of gross misconduct and would have been sacked if she had not already resigned.