Police drove patrol cars to the seaside for day trips

Five police officers are under investigation after being accused of using patrol cars to make day trips to the seaside.

The group, from Gwent Police, face a disciplinary hearing for allegedly holding a “dare” competition to see who could drive to the beach farthest from their station.

Known as the Seaside Five by fellow officers, they travelled at least 30 miles from their base at Blackwood police station in South Wales to the resorts of Porthcawl and Barry Island. It is alleged that they then took photographs of themselves on fairground rides to prove how far they had driven.

Sources said that the alleged competition was uncovered when one of the patrol cars broke down in another force’s area. It is thought that the group had been trying to reach Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has been asked to investigate the alleged “misuse of police vehicles whilst on duty”. The Seaside Five, who have not been named, were questioned yesterday as part of a private disciplinary hearing.
A spokesman from the commission said: “This hearing has full legal powers and can deliver an outcome from words of advice through to dismissal.”