Former Beds police officer guilty of gross misconduct over offensive social media posts
Former PC Gary Lorenc would have been sacked had he not already quit
A former Bedfordshire Police Officer would have been sacked for gross misconduct, after making a series of offensive and discriminatory posts online, had he not already quit.
Gary Lorenc resigned just a few days before the misconduct hearing on 2nd February 2026.
Despite his absence, the panel heard evidence regarding Lorenc's social media conduct
The hearing focused on multiple instances where Lorenc's posts insulted serving politicians, discriminated against trans individuals, and prejudicial views towards asylum seekers.
The panel found this “undoubtedly undermines public confidence” in the police force, as he cannot undertake his duties fairly and impartially.
It also finds Lorenc culpable of breaching several professional standards, including Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Equality and Diversity, Orders and Instructions, and Discreditable Conduct.
Assistant Chief Constable Vaughan Lukey said: “The messages when considered together presented a disturbing picture of this former officer’s views, which clearly demonstrated his prejudice based on ethnicity, sex and sexual orientation which are incompatible for any serving member of the police service.
“His views displayed attitudes that were the antithesis of the fairness and impartiality required of police officers and therefore unacceptable.”
Additionally, the panel noted that Lorenc had been involved in managing demonstrations on issues concerning Palestine and Gaza.
Adding that, ‘should this officer be called upon to assist in this role, and the public were aware of his views, they could not have faith in him, and potentially others to police such incidents fairly.’
Conclusion
While Lorenc admitted responsibility for most posts, he disputed one post, claiming it was made by someone else using his phone.
However, the panel concluded that his explanation did not suffice, given the consistency in tone and content with other messages he acknowledged.
The hearing concluded that Lorenc's posts demonstrated targeted discrimination and deliberate disregard for expected police behaviour, amounting to gross misconduct.
The panel proposed that had Lorenc remained an active officer, he would have faced dismissal without notice.
It is also recommended the former PC is placed on the college of policing barred list, banning him from returning to policing or similar professions.