Ex-Surrey Police officer banned for life over cannabis use and dishonesty

A former Surrey Police officer has been banned from policing for life after being found guilty of gross misconduct involving cannabis use and dishonesty.

Zara Ali was dismissed following a hearing at Surrey Police Headquarters on 15th December 2025. Ali, who had already left the force and did not attend the hearing, will never be able to work as a police officer again as she has been added to the national barred list. The panel stated she would have been sacked if she were still serving.

The misconduct panel heard about an incident in May 2024 while Ali was off duty during a trip to the New Forest. Ali initially told colleagues PC Annalise Ware and Sergeant Scott Legge that she took “one puff” of a cannabis joint while camping with friends.

Days later, Ali underwent a drugs test after a manager expressed concerns. Despite being directly asked by her supervisors if she had consumed drugs, Ali denied it at the time. She later changed her version of events when speaking to senior officers, claiming she had unknowingly smoked a cigarette that may have contained drugs.

The panel criticised her for being dishonest when questioned during the testing process, stating her actions were deliberate and posed a serious risk to public confidence in policing.

“The public would be appalled that a police officer failed to answer honestly,” members of the panel said.

Ali argued that her ADHD diagnosis may have led to misunderstandings. However, the panel said there was no medical evidence to support the claims and rejected suggestions that two officers could independently misinterpret the events due to her diagnosis.

They concluded her actions, which they described as criminal and dishonest, seriously damaged public trust. They ruled that anything less than dismissal would not have sufficiently protected the reputation of Surrey Police.

Zara Ali has the right to appeal the decision within 10 working days.

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