A police officer has been dismissed after touching a female colleague inappropriately and “rubbing her leg” along her trouser pocket.

Adam Renton made “inherently sexual” contact with a fellow officer’s thigh inside Medway Police Station having already been warned about his conduct in the months before, a misconduct panel was told.

The PC, who joined Kent Police in January 2022, was reportedly asking others in an office if they had any keys to police vehicles, the three-day hearing was told.

He approached a group of three officers, one of whom was a female, on September 23 last year.

In a statement from the victim, she explained she did not respond to PC Renton’s general request in the office for keys since she did not have any.

But she says he stopped next to her before leaning towards her, before suddenly rubbing his hand along the outline of her front right trouser pocket.

She added she “stood there and froze, not quite understanding why he was touching her”.

“As we walked away from the office it hit me that he was rubbing me in an intimate place,” she says.

“My trouser pockets are all in the bottom and bikini area.

“As I left the office we got outside and [another colleague] asked me if I was OK. I laughed it off at first as I was in shock.

“However, the more I thought of it, I realised I was not OK and what he did was not OK.”

PC Renton, who is in his 40s, explained to the panel he was shocked and mortified adding it was never his intention for the female officer to feel the way she described.

As part of the misconduct process, the constable said he never intended to upset her, was sorry she was upset about his behaviour and apologised for how he behaved.

The panel was also told about PC Renton’s conduct with another female colleague.

“As we walked away from the office it hit me that he was rubbing me in an intimate place...”

In evidence to the panel, she told the hearing he had “put his hand on my knee and pushed it around from side to side in a quite obviously playful/jokey manner” in a one-to-one meeting earlier in 2023.

“Instinctively I knew he had crossed a boundary at that moment and I immediately challenged him,” she said.

“I told him that I am not comfortable with being touched on the knee, even in a jokey manner.”

She said PC Renton apologised and explained he was not thinking and would not do it again.

But the same officer recalled another incident in July or August 2023 when he went to hug her. When she stepped away he instead offered his hand for a handshake.

The hearing was told PC Renton had been suspended from duty on September 23 and also arrested over the pocket and keys incident on September 24.

He was held in a cell at Tonbridge Police Station before being released on bail pending further inquiries.

In November a case file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which ruled the case did not meet the evidential test for prosecution.

PC Renton agreed he did not seek the female officer’s consent to touch her and denied he placed his hand on her trouser pocket area – he said he patted it.

He also agreed that looking back, he made her uncomfortable, telling the panel: “Here we are 12 months later. I still haven’t had the opportunity [to apologise] for making her feel in such a way and to tell her 100% [there was] no agenda or sexual intent.

“I am deeply saddened as to how I have made her feel.”

However, the officer did not accept the conduct alleged amounted to gross misconduct.

We received a report that an officer had inappropriately touched a colleague while they were both on duty

The panel, which sat between September 2 and September 5, asked the PC some questions during the hearing and in response he said he did not pat the pockets of the male officers because they were stood up and he could see their pockets.

Having considered the cases put forward by all parties, the panel found the case had proven to be one of gross misconduct.

They found the officer’s conduct had breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to authority, respect and courtesy, equality and diversity and conduct.

They also said PC Renton’s actions were made more serious because they took place following previous warnings from a sergeant about his behaviour.

In considering the disciplinary outcome, the tribunal took into account the officer’s personal record, a number of character references, and representations regarding the outcome presented by the officer’s legal representative.

Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Armory, head of professional standards, said: “We received a report that an officer had inappropriately touched a colleague while they were both on duty.

“PC Adam Renton was immediately suspended from duty while inquiries took place. He denied the incident was sexually motivated.

“A four-day public hearing chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Brookes did not find PC Renton’s actions to have been sexually motivated but was satisfied that in any case these actions amounted to gross misconduct.

“PC Renton was dismissed from the force without notice.”