Hundreds of UK officers should never have been appointed, says police watchdog

Some officers failed to declare ‘big red flags’ such as links to criminals

Some officers had been dishonest on their applications (PA Wire)

Hundreds of people who joined the police in the last three years should not have been allowed in, a senior police official has said.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Matt Parr said many officers had failed to declare “big red flags” such as “prior convictions and links with criminals that are too close and not explained” as well as “not being entirely honest on their application”.

He told Sky News: “Anybody who has got any blemish on their record shouldn’t automatically be disbarred from being a police officer, that just wouldn’t be fair.