The Hampshire police officer kicked a McLaren Formula 1 car and caused £ 2,076 damage after drinking cocktails before the Spice Girls concert

PC Demi Love drank with friends at the Hilton Hotel before seeing the Spice Girls at nearby Wembley Stadium.

The bright orange Formula 1 car, which was driven by double world champion Fernando Alonso for McLaren in the 2018 season, takes pride of place in the hotel’s reception area.

As they left, the off-duty policewoman was caught by the surveillance camera walking towards the valuable car and kicking it, causing a “loud bang” and £ 2,076 damage.

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Fernando Alonso from Spain drives the (14) McLaren F1 Team MCL33 Renault during practice for the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina Circuit on November 23, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Image: Lars Baron / Getty Images

The hotel manager said Love looked like she was taking a punishment.

Love, who has since resigned from the police force, denied that she intentionally kicked the car, claiming she simply stumbled into it.

But a panel of gross misconduct found her guilty of “discreditable conduct” and of violating standards of honesty and integrity by lying during the investigation. It ruled that if she had not already resigned, she would have been released without notice.

The Hampshire Constabulary misconduct hearing was told that Love had about four cocktails with her friends prior to the incident at the Hilton Hotel near Wembley Stadium in London in June 2019.

She is also said to have provided false information during a criminal interview with the Metropolitan Police and an interview conducted by the Professional Standards Department in which she alleged that the damage was accidental, although CCTV footage suggested otherwise.

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Barrister Stephen Morley, who is prosecuting on behalf of the Professional Standards Department, said: “PC Love said in an interview that she had had about four cocktails but denied that she was drunk.

“When leaving the hotel, something happened to a car parked in the foyer in the hotel reception area. It wasn’t just any car, it was a McLaren Formula 1 car.

CCTV footage shows PC Love and her friends getting out of the elevator, turning left and stopping for a moment.

“It looks like a group of young women who have had a few drinks.

“The footage shows PC Love stopping just in front of the vehicle, then quickly moving towards it, kicking it, turning around and returning to her friends.”

Mr. Morley said this was taken from four different angles and shows that Love looks left first “to see who is looking”.

The incident was also watched by hotel manager Ross Blezard, who was about 10 meters from the car when PC Love kicked him.

Mr. Morley said, (He said) I looked in the direction of the car and saw the lady run three steps at high speed before kicking hard enough to cause a loud bang like taking a penalty kick. She started laughing and giggling. ‘

The misconduct hearing was told that while the damage was relatively minor, it still cost £ 2,076 to repair.

Mr Morley said Love appeared in the district court on the criminal offense of damage to property, of which she pleaded not guilty.

The Crown Prosecutor’s Office has since suspended criminal cases after Love paid for the damage she caused, but she still faced a misconduct hearing.

Hampshire Police said they made “false statements” about what happened during the police interrogation.

Mr. Morley said, “PC Love says this was all a complete accident. She says she went up to her friends … she says she tripped or slipped and fell on the vehicle.

“The footage and Mr Blezard’s report… make it clear that she did not slip or fall, but approached the vehicle on purpose.

“We say the footage and PC Love report just don’t match.”

Sergeant Moray Anderson, who represents Love, read a brief statement to the panel that said, “PC Love has consistently denied that she deliberately damaged the car.

“She accepts to have a drink with her friends, she accepts contact with the car and she accepts that she caused the damage.

“She regrets what she has done, but insists that the damage was accidental.

“She has taken responsibility for the damage and taken steps to repair it.”

Harry Ireland, the legal chairman of the Police Misconduct Committee, said: “In the first 15 seconds” [of the footage] The former officer makes a conscious movement in the body with her right foot.

“There was no fall or trip, it was a deliberate action.”

Both charges were found established and the panel determined that if Love had not already resigned, she would have been fired.

Hilton describes himself as a “proud sponsor” of the McLaren Formula 1 team.

The Spanish driver Fernando Alonso won two F1 world championships. He drove for McLaren between 2015 and 2018.

A message from the editor, Mark Waldron