A police officer was described as “p***ed as a pudding” after crashing into a wall and repeatedly telling onlookers not to worry as he “was the police”.

PC Leo Steeden was driving a MGF sports car when he crashed into the boundary wall of a house in Newington, near Sittingbourne, on August 8, 2022.

At a police misconduct hearing last week, the panel were told the property owners heard a “loud noise outside” at about 1pm, before the officer, who was not wearing shoes, rang their doorbell.

PC Steeden, who had been with the Metropolitan Police for more than 20 years, was off-duty but told them it would not cost them anything to repair the wall and he “would deal with it”.

The panel heard how he repeatedly told the residents it would be OK as “he was a police officer”.

Following the crash, PC Steeden asked if the homeowners wanted to go “for a beer” with him and when they declined the offer, he left the scene and walked to The Bull pub, in the High Street, and then a Nisa store where he bought alcohol.

Kent Police was called to the scene and arrested PC Steeden, who failed a breathalyser test.

He told the officers since the crash he had drunk a bottle and a half of Heineken, three small cans of Heineken and a small bottle of wine.

PC Steeden, who admitted to having a drinking problem, also confessed to having drunk a small bottle of wine prior to the crash.

However, a witness said he was “p***ed as a pudding” and officers found empty miniature vodkas and an empty bottle of wine in the car.

The police misconduct panel discounted this evidence as it was not supported by any written statement.

It concluded PC Steeden had been drinking prior to the accident and had attempted to “cover it up” by consuming more alcohol afterwards.

They added: “To put members of the public at risk by driving with excess alcohol was grossly irresponsible.

“To put members of the public at risk by driving with excess alcohol was grossly irresponsible…”

“The fact that only a wall was demolished when PC Steeden crashed was relatively fortunate. The outcome could have been much worse.

“He then compounded his misconduct by trying to cover up the fact that he had been drinking before the accident by showing his warrant card to members of the public and telling them he was a police officer to discourage them from calling the local police before drinking further alcohol to prevent it being proved that he was over the limit at the time of the accident.

“A proven lack of integrity undermines a police officer’s reliability and credibility.”

PC Steeden was dismissed from the Met Police without notice and has been added to the College of Policing barred list.

The case did not meet the evidential test to successfully support any criminal charges.