Avon & Somerset police officer sacked after sending racist and misogynistic memes
Officer found to have committed gross misconduct
An Avon & Somerset police officer has been sacked without notice for sending ‘appalling’ and ‘disturbing’ racist and misogynistic memes, including one using domestic abuse as humour.
PC Luke Hurst texted discriminatory views about ‘foreigners’ and the absence of white people in an area he was driving through, a police misconduct hearing was told.
He also tried, but failed, to persuade his then-partner to submit a fraudulent Universal Credit claim saying they were not living together when they were to get more money.
The panel found the officer, based in Bridgwater, committed gross misconduct.
He was dismissed and placed on a barred list preventing him from working in policing or other law enforcement.
PC Hurst, who did not attend the one-day hearing at force headquarters in Portishead on Thursday, July 2, and gave his Police Federation rep no instructions to offer any mitigation, admitted all the facts and breaches of standards of professional behaviour as alleged.
He accepted the memes and Universal Credit application amounted to gross misconduct but argued that a third allegation of starting a second job at a factory months before the constabulary gave approval, and then worked way beyond eight hours a week as instructed, reached the level of misconduct only.
But panel chair Craig Holden disagreed and gave a ruling of gross misconduct in all three.
The constable sent WhatsApp messages to his then-partner in February and April, 2025, asking her to submit a false Universal Credit application, the hearing was told.
In a statement to police, the woman said: “Luke tried to encourage me to lie about him still living in the house and to say that he had moved out so we would be able to claim more money.
“I didn’t do this as I was not willing to be dishonest – this is something that would worry me.”
Barrister Mark Ley-Morgan, representing the force, said the officer claimed he only asked his partner to say they were not living together because their relationship had already ended and he was in the process of moving out over the next few months.
But Mr Ley-Morgan said PC Hurst told her: “You can back-date it – it’s free money.”
The barrister said: “So it’s not true that he did it because he was preparing to move out.”
He said that between February 15 and March 28, 2025, PC Hurst sent three racist memes to a friend on WhatsApp, replied to one expressing the view it was funny, sent a misogynistic meme, and expressed discriminatory opinions about ‘foreigners’ on Facebook Messenger.
Mr Ley-Morgan said a search through PC Hurst’s phone found numerous memes that were racist, misogynistic and/or ablest.
He said: “The memes are appalling and some of them are disturbing.
“It is difficult to believe that anyone could find them remotely amusing.”
In the officer’s written response to the allegations, he said: “I accept that when shared publicly these messages present me in a poor light.”
Mr Ley-Morgan said: “That’s the understatement of the year.”
PC Hurst’s statement added: “The messages were always part of a private conversation with close personal friends and were never meant to be seen by anybody else.
“We share a similar sense of humour.
“I am not a racist or misogynistic person and these messages do not represent views that I hold.”
On September 17, 2025, the constable applied for a business interest for a second job working as a transport coordinator at a factory.
He began that role just five days later, months before Avon & Somerset Police approved it on December 1.
This was on condition that he worked no more than eight hours a week there.
But PC Hurst was doing 12-hour shifts, four days on, four days off, way in excess of this, until his contract ended on March 30 this year, Mr Ley-Morgan said.
The officer insisted he had no choice because he was short of money.
But, announcing his decision, Mr Holden said: “There is no evidence that sets out what his financial hardship was.”
He found all the facts and breaches of standards of professional behaviour proved and that PC Hurst had committed gross misconduct, including the business interest allegation.
“The severity of the officer’s actions are significant.”
He said a member of the public knowing what he had done would consider his actions ‘outrageous’.