Tameside policeman sacked after lying to avoid speeding offence

A Tameside-based police officer has been sacked after claiming his car number plates had been stolen to avoid driving offences.

PC Raja Yousaf was jailed for four months in August last year having pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to perverting the course of justice.  

PC Yousaf was spotted speeding in Oldham in July 2021 by a Greater Manchester Police patrol but later denied he had been in the car and had been in Stockport at the time.  

Investigations proved that PC Yousaf’s mobile phone had been in Oldham, and he was subsequently arrested and later charged with perverting the course of justice.  

PC Yousaf, who worked in GMP’s Tameside district, admitted his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and had breached the standards of discreditable conduct at an Accelerated Misconduct Hearing at GMP headquarters on January, 12 2024.  

Chief Constable Stephen Watson, who conducted the hearing, told PC Yousaf he was ‘evasive’ and ‘insolent’, and had made ‘repeated false claims’ during the traffic stop in July 2021.  

CC Watson said: “You committed a moving traffic offence and the officer was entitled to arrest you; I would have arrested you.  

“You were lawfully stopped but refused to give your details fully and didn’t identify yourself as a police officer. 

“This case diminishes public confidence in policing; you misconducted yourself deliberately, repeatedly and criminally, and I am unable to find any mitigation whatsoever.”  

CC Watson dismissed the officer without notice and ordered his name be added to the College of Policing Barred List.  

PC Yousaf had been suspended from duty since June 2022.