Police constable faces hearing over alleged Royal Ascot sickie

A police constable's passion for the horses he part-owns has got him into hot water with his superiors.

PC Jono Adams, who is part of the local policing team in Gloucester city centre, is a syndicate member with Ontoawinner, who won last year's Commonwealth Cup with Quiet Reflection, and it is alleged he called in sick on the day the filly won at Royal Ascot, having been refused leave to attend the meeting.

It is further alleged Adams had already twice taken sick leave in order to travel to Nottingham to watch Little Lady Katie, like Quiet Reflection trained by Karl Burke and owned by Ontoawinner, who finished third on the first occasion in September 2015 and seventh on her seasonal reappearance the following April.

Adams has been called to a public hearing at Gloucestershire Police headquarters at Quedgeley a week on Monday, where he will be required to answer three allegations pertaining to his honesty and integrity.

According to the summary of the hearing published online, "each allegation, if proven, has been assessed as being sufficiently serious as to amount to gross misconduct".