A serving police officer has been handed a written warning after sending "poorly worded" emails.

PC Matthew Townsend, who serves in Kent Police's Tactical Operations Unit at Coldharbour, Aylesford, blamed "fat thumbs" for the wording of two emails where he was accused of posing as a close relative's legal representative.

A panel heard PC Townsend informed Kent Police when his relative was arrested in May 2018.

By November the relative had been suspended from work, but was seeking CCTV footage from his employer to do with an upcoming court case where the relative planned to represent himself.

PC Townsend, who had a clean record before this week's hearing, sent two emails to the Cambridgeshire based company on his relation's behalf.

The first read: “I am just emailing to confirm that I will be representing [X] in upcoming court proceedings.”

“I am currently preparing a robust defence to the charges."

'In his misguided attempts to attempts to assist a relative, PC Matthew Townsend compromised his own integrity' - Supt John Phillips

PC Townsend, from Ashford, told a panel chaired by Clare Harrington that he never meant to come across as a legal representative.

He said: "It's not greatly worded, I apologise and hold my hands up to that. I was representing X in a welfare capacity. At the time of that email I was his voice."

When the employer refused, a second email was sent where PC Townsend warned: "This CCTV is required by us the defence and not for the prosecution and at this time I do not wish them to know about it."

PC Townsend was in north Kent searching for Sarah Wellgreen when he sent both emails.

Speaking on Tuesday PC Townsend, who has been with the force for 19 years, said: "I was freezing cold out in the back of a van, trying to type on my phone with fat thumbs. I rushed the email. The reason I didn't want them to know about the copy of the CCTV is because X didn't have to notify them as he was the defendant."

PC Townsend was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to integrity.

Supt John Phillips, of Kent Police’s Professional Standards Department, said: "It is deeply regrettable that in his misguided attempts to assist in a relative’s legal issues, PC Matthew Townsend compromised his own integrity by making misleading statements.

"All officers and staff are duty bound to make full and frank disclosures when friends or relatives are involved in a legal process to avoid a conflict of interest and allegations of misconduct.

"It is only right that PC Townsend has been held to account by an independent panel, who have determined a proportionate course of action."

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