A Cambridgeshire police officer is set to face a misconduct hearing in May, and will be joined by a fellow officer for a second hearing into "inappropriate and offensive" text messages.

PC Mark Coteman was investigated criminally for serious offences.

These include; offering to supply Class C drugs (steroids) to associates, using a police computer system to review incidents and provide information to others outside of the organisation, and committing fraud by falsely representing his financial situation to benefit from an IVA.

PC Coteman pleaded guilty at Colchester Magistrate's Court to these offences on April 16, 2024, and he is awaiting sentencing on May 20 at Chelmsford Crown Court.

As a result, he will face a misconduct hearing into his discreditable conduct on May 14.

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On the same day, PC Coteman will face a second misconduct hearing alongside PC Oliver Austen.

The subject matter of the misconduct hearing into the two officers relates to text messages exchanged between the pair.

A phone belonging to PC Mark Coteman was seized by the police in relation to a separate matter.

The force downloaded contents of the mobile phone and discovered messages that have been identified as containing "racial, discriminatory, inappropriate, offensive and misogynistic content" in the form of messages, photos and videos.

The messages were identified as being sent to and from the personal phones belonging to PC Austin and PC Coteman.

At a conduct investigation, both officers admitted to sending the messages.

PC Austin has since accepted that on reflection, the messages were not acceptable or appropriate.

Both of the misconduct hearings will take place at 9am on Tuesday, May 14, at Lysander House Training Room, Lysander House, Station Road, in Tempsford, Bedfordshire.

The nature of the hearing is public, anyone that wishes to attend can register their interest by emailing: publichearings@beds.police.uk