THREE Surrey Police officers have been served with misconduct and gross

misconduct notices as part of an ongoing investigation by the Independent Police

Complaints Commission (IPCC).

The notices were served after the IPCC investigated complaints made by Stacy Banner, relating to her contact with family liaison officers from Surrey Police following the murders of her mother and sister in Tilford, and her subsequent arrest for criminal offences in March 2014.

Tilford puppy farmer John Lowe, 82, was sentenced to life in prison in October 2014 for the murders, and told he must serve a minimum term of 25 years in jail.

The IPCC investigator’s opinion was that a detective constable and a detective sergeant had cases to answer for misconduct and a detective inspector had a case to answer for gross misconduct. The misconduct hearing for the detective constable related to conduct of the investigation into an allegation of burglary and concluded that it was not proven.

A separate misconduct hearing last week for the detective sergeant relating to Mrs Banner’s arrest for burglary and conspiracy to cause criminal damage, concluded that management advice should be given in respect of two of the three allegations.

The allegation of having insufficient evidence was not found to be proven, while the second regarding witness statements, and a further one that as a consequence of failing to ensure witness statements were taken Mrs Banner was arrested and held in custody when it was unnecessary, were proven.

The gross misconduct allegation related to authorisation of the continued detention of Mrs Banner and her arrest for burglary and conspiracy to cause criminal damage when evidence gathered by the IPCC investigation indicated that these decisions were, respectively, not necessary and indicatively a breach of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

The gross misconduct hearing against Detective Inspector Paul Burrill was chaired by an independent legally qualified non-police chairman. It concluded on Wednesday last week with a finding that the allegations are not proven.

The IPCC had earlier in their investigation ruled out any misconduct against family liaison officers.

Chief Superintendent Helen Collins said: “The complaints have been thoroughly investigated and the evidence carefully considered at misconduct and gross misconduct hearings involving three officers.

“We are still in a period in which the detective

sergeant can choose whether or not to appeal the findings and, therefore, will not be commenting further.”