Greater Manchester police officer sacked after stalking woman around Tesco

He took 41 photographs of his victim while she was in the supermarket

The former policeman stalked the woman at the same location on two separate occasions (PA)

A police officer has been fired after he was convicted of stalking a woman in Tesco supermarket.

Steve Hamilton, 49, was fired from Greater Manchester police for gross misconduct after he was found guilty of taking dozens of photographs of a woman while she did her shopping.

PC Hamilton’s phone had 41 photographs of his victim while she shopped round Tesco in Glossop, Derbyshire which caused her to feel "distress, anger and violated" according to court documents.

The former policeman stalked the woman at the same location on two separate occasions and has now been given a restraining order, according to the Manchester Evening News.

PC Hamilton, who is from Cheshire, has now been issued with a restraining order and must also pay £620 in costs and an £85 victim surcharge and carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police confirmed his dismissal and said: “A full investigation was carried out and following a special case hearing, an independent panel deemed his behaviour to be gross misconduct and he was dismissed.

“He displayed behaviour and actions that could undermine the public’s confidence in the police service, which is simply unacceptable.”