Detective snooped on his manager with hidden phone

A senior detective has been sacked for hiding a telephone in his manager's office and secretly listening to their conversations.

Det Sgt Nicholas Riley, of Essex Police, concealed the device between February and April 2025.

He then used it to listen remotely to conversations happening inside the room while he was on duty, according to the force.

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said Riley's behaviour was "clearly not in keeping with the incredibly high standards" he expected of officers.

The detective was found to have committed gross misconduct at a hearing in Chelmsford.

The allegation was proven in his absence and he did not attend, Essex Police said.

He was immediately dismissed from the force and barred from the profession.

"Once the behaviour was proven, the only acceptable outcome for this now-former officer was dismissal," Harrington said.

"The public rightly expects the officers who serve them to behave with integrity and honestly at the centre of their values.

"When this does not happen, we never hesitate in taking robust action - as this hearing shows."

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