A British Transport Police officer sacked over a campaign of sexist behaviour in which he sexually harassed one colleague and told another he was aroused while reading about the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl, a tribunal has heard.
In a string of incidents spanning ten years, Chief Inspector Paul Crouch smelled his female colleague’s hair and rubbed his thighs in her presence.
The London-based officer also twice made ‘sexual’ comments about a senior female officer behind her back.
Crouch was fired after being found guilty of gross misconduct at a tribunal in Camden on Friday.
The anonymity request was initially granted by the tribunal’s chair but it was overturned after an appeal by the force.
Detective Superintendent Peter Fulton, Head of BTP’s Professional Standards Department, said: ‘Tackling inappropriate sexual behaviour is BTP’s number one priority, whether that is on the railway network or within our own workforce.
‘Officers like Paul Crouch completely undermine our efforts and we are determined to root people like him out, because there’s absolutely no place for sexualised or discriminatory behaviour within British Transport Police.
‘I would like to personally thank the colleagues who came forward and provided such compelling evidence which was crucial in holding Crouch to account.
‘We will always support anyone who tells us about witnessing or experiencing this sort of behaviour, because without them it goes unchecked.
Referring to the successful appeal against the anonymity order, DS Fulton added: ‘It is absolutely vital that we are open, transparent, and accountable if we are to restore public confidence in policing.’
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