Special Constable Dismissed From Met For Dodging Train Fare

By Andrew Young-

SPC Uzair Siddiqi travelled on a South West Trains service from Surbiton to Waterloo on February 16 without a ticket. He presented  a police Oyster card that was not valid on that line, raising alarm in the process.

  His fare evasion may have damaging effects on his career prospects because integrity forms a basic aspect of the police. The ticket in question would have cost £7.10, or from £3.90 with an Oyster or contactless card.

Siddiqui was reported for fare evasion which he settled out of court after paying a fee of £87.10. However, he did not inform the Met police despite signing a statement of expectation for special constables outlining his obligation to do so. Siddiq’s public grosse misconduct hearing was concluded to have breached the Met’s standards of ”honesty and integrity’, as well as ”discreditable conduct”

The Eye Of Media.Com heard that the dismissed constable .was previously of good character, and a respectable member of the police force. He had formed good relations with several members of the Enfield Community, but ”was struggling to balance his income with his daily costs of living”, according to a close associate of his.  Police Constables earn about £32,000, an equivalent of just over £2.5 a month. Unless, the constable was living far above his means , the train fare should not have been a problem on any ordinary day.

Had he a correct oyster card in his possession, he would have been alright.  However, because the correct use of police oyster cards are properly taught during the recruitment process, it is believed he knew his oyster card was wrong for the journey, and therefore, his fare evasion was deliberate. The fact he was unable to pay the correct fare to save his face in court has brought this shame to him.  The subsequent  misconduct hearing is what has led to the fall of his reputation in the end.