North Yorkshire Police deny sacking PSCO over "challenging Islam"
Claims were made in a newspaper interview with a former staff member
Last updated 6th Jun 2026
North Yorkshire Police say a former PCSO was not sacked for "challenging Islam" despite reports in the media.
Claims over his departure from the force came in a newspaper interview with the ex-community support officer from Harrogate - with bosses saying he resigned after an investigation was begun following complaints from several colleagues about his conduct during and after cultural awareness training sessions.
On appeal a decision to bar him from working in the police in the future was overturned by the Chief Constable who rules that while there were concerns over behaviour, this did not represent gross misconduct nor a breach of any of the Police Staff Standards of Professional Behaviour.
A statement from North Yorkshire Police says: "Cultural awareness training involves learning about topics such as identity and belonging, hate crime, race, ethnicity, culture and nationality and policing minority communities. It does not involve chanting or religious indoctrination as stated in the article. The training covers multiple faiths and beliefs. It is important for our communities that we have the necessary understanding to police without fear or favour and to provide an outstanding service to the people of York and North Yorkshire to keep them safe and feeling safe. We work as one team to put victims and the wider community at the heart of everything we do so that we can reduce crime and ensure justice for victims.
"In April 2026 HMICFRS recognised that North Yorkshire Police is an improving force, and highlighted the strength of our leadership and support for the workforce, stating that North Yorkshire Police is providing staff and officers with the right training to carry out their roles. In the HMICFRS workforce survey of North Yorkshire Police, 92.5 percent (868 of 938 respondents) of colleagues said they felt fairly treated by co-workers. And 89.9 percent (843 of 938 respondents) told HMICFRS that their line manager challenged discriminatory behaviour. Our colleagues also said they felt confident enough to challenge inappropriate behaviour.
"In the last 12 months we have introduced a new values and behaviours framework which underpins everything we do and specifically states that we are open to challenge and listen to the different perspectives of all our colleagues. In the last two years, North Yorkshire Police has also made significant progress in preventing and reducing crime which is down by 9.5%, effectively responding to crime, safeguarding the vulnerable and supporting innocent victims of crime. We have one of the highest charge rates in the country. We believe everyone is equal under the law and we will continue to make improvements and to deliver the very best for our communities. "