A Cambridgeshire Police officer has been dismissed after arriving for a first aid course while ‘smelling of alcohol.’

Former PC Ciaron Hickey was dismissed following a misconduct hearing which took place on October 21.

PC Hickey was due to attend a first aid refresher course at Cambridgeshire Police Headquarters in Huntingdon on September 10, 2025. The former officer arrived late and explained that his lateness was due to him mistakenly attending a local police station.

A short while after, a member of the ‘Public and Personal Safety Training Team’ met him in the corridor outside the classroom and they had a brief conversation, during the course of which the team member could smell alcohol on the former officer’s breath.

The former officer entered the classroom and the PPST Trainer, who was standing in close proximity, also confirmed that the former officer smelt of alcohol and then reported the matter to the sergeant present.

As a result, the former officer was removed from the classroom. After this, he confirmed that he had consumed alcohol the previous evening.

Subsequently, the former officer was subjected to a preliminary breath test which provided an initial reading of 18μg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. A second breath test was conducted around an hour later, which gave a reading of 9μg of alcohol.

As a result, he was transported home.

At the time of this, PC Hickey was already subject to a written warning, effective from April 24, 2025 (for a period of 18 months) after arriving for duty on September 11 2024 with a proportion of alcohol on his breath that exceeded the prescribed workplace limit.

PC Ciaron Hickey was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to fitness for duty, orders and instructions and discreditable conduct, amounting to gross misconduct.

Deputy Chief Constable Chris Balmer said: “Police officers are rightly held to high standards of professional behaviour and the public should expect nothing less.

“This officer’s actions fell well below the standards we expect and, ultimately, have resulted in his dismissal.

“The public rightly expects better from those entrusted with serving and protecting our communities.”

The hearing, held at Lysander House on 21 October, found that the former officer be dismissed without notice and also be placed on the College of Policing’s barred list.

PC Hickey informed his federation representative that he did not wish to engage with the proceedings. He did not attend the hearing and was not represented.

The full hearing outcome is available on the Cambridgeshire Constabulary website.