A Merton policeman has been dismissed for misconduct after a hearing found that he lied about losing equipment and failed to turn up for work.

PC Mark Caulker faced allegations of breaching the Metropolitan Police’s standards of professional behaviour, after sending an email on June 1, 2015, asking for a new Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device and claiming that he had lost his PDA two weeks earlier.

Police guidelines say the loss of any PDA should be reported immediately and also reported as a security incident. However, an investigation found that PC Caulker’s PDA had not been used since September 2014, making it likely that his claim of losing it eight months later was untrue.

PC Caulker also failed to turn up for duty at the Notting Hill Carnival on August 30, 2015. Despite being expected to begin work at 11am, he had to be contacted at home and did not turn up for his shift until 1.30pm.

A misconduct hearing on Monday, October 3, found that PC Caulker’s actions amounted to a breach of the standards of following orders and instructions, of having honesty and integrity and of failing in his duties and responsibilities.

He has been dismissed with 28 days notice.