A police officer involved in a controversy sparked by efforts to sanction a woman for mushroom foraging has been found to have committed gross misconduct.
In November 2024, Louise Gather travelled from her home in Derby to Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, in search of magpie inkcaps - a rare kind of fungus.
The 39-year-old told reporters that she did not pick any mushrooms, but despite this, former PC Christopher Vickers later attended her property and issued a community resolution order.
However, the misconduct panel found he had issued the paperwork to her husband and then lied when updating an official police database - claiming to have spoken directly to Mrs Gather.
The misconduct panel said he would have been sacked over the incident if he had not already left the force.
