The number of officers sacked and barred from returning to work for Sussex Police each year has more than tripled since the Covid pandemic.

New figures released by the College of Policing show nearly 50 officershave been dismissed and added to the college’s barred list since April 2020.

A spokesman for the force said the number of staff on the barred list is “increasing in line with the national trend” and the vast number of officers are “a credit to the force”.

New figures show that from April 2023 to March 2024, 16 officers were dismissed and added to the barred list, meaning they are banned from future jobs in policing.

In the previous year, 15 officers were dismissed while 12 were dismissed in 2021/2022.

Just five officers were dismissed in 2020/21 which fell during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In total, 48 Sussex Police officers have been dismissed and added to the barred list since April 2020.

Sussex Police had the seventh most officers dismissed in the last year among police forces in England – but the force has the 14th most officers in the country.

In March, a Sussex Police officer was sacked after kissing his colleague against her will and taking her to his hotel room while she was heavily drunk.

PC Richard Hession was barred after he kissed a female colleague on the neck while he was a serving police officer in Brighton, a four-day disciplinary hearing was told.

He was subject to a criminal investigation which was dropped due to insufficient evidence.

And, in April 2023, another officer was sacked after acting inappropriately towards female colleagues in a way which was deemed to be misogynistic.

The officer, who was granted anonymity by a legally qualified chairman, was accused of two allegations of sexual touching and one count of voyeurism. This occurred when they were off duty in 2018 and 2019 and the victims were known to the former officer.

They were found not guilty following a trial in May 2021.

In December 2020 The Argus reported that 21 Sussex Police Officers had been dismissed from the force since 2017. The College of Policing Barred list is not a published list of names but a search of a specific name can be carried out on its website to check if a person has been barred.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said the increase in the number of officers on the barred list was in line with the national trend and “reflects our increased focus on holding officers and staff to account”.

The force added: “We expect the highest levels of professionalism from our officers, staff and volunteers and for them to act in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Behaviour both on and off duty.

"The vast majority of our people are a credit to the force, working hard to protect communities and catch criminals, however when there are people who behave in a way which falls far below these expected standards, we will take robust action.

"Unacceptable conduct will not be tolerated at Sussex Police and therefore in all cases where gross misconduct is found, the officer or staff member will be dismissed and placed on the barred list. This also applies when an officer or staff member resigns during an investigation and the gross misconduct is proven.”