IN JUST a few words, the career of a community police officer came to an end yesterday.

A police statement recording the dismissal of the officer – known to some as PC Sexy – was short and to the point.

‘A police misconduct hearing was convened at which Police Constable Richard Vahey admitted a charge relating to his conduct and was dismissed from Guernsey Police.’

Given what emerged from the prosecution of PC Vahey in the Magistrate’s Court for indecent assault the decision should come as no surprise. While the officer was found not guilty of that charge and seems generally well-regarded on his beat it was clear that his behaviour while in uniform fell well short of that expected of any policeman.

Islanders have a lot of respect for members of the uniformed services – police, firefighters, paramedics, nurses – but in return expect high standards of behaviour, particularly while on duty.

PC Vahey clearly abused that position of trust, particularly by forming a relationship with a much younger woman for whom he had a duty of care.

Lasting damage has no doubt been done on all sides but it is to be hoped that this will be an end to the matter. Nobody who remembers the fiasco of the Home Department’s reinstatement of an officer convicted three years ago of assault wants the discredited police appeals system to be dusted off and used again.

In that instance, States members – and one non-States member – who decided to overrule the police disciplinary hearing left the force and its senior officers in an untenable position by restoring to their charge an officer they had made clear they wanted out.

In the process they further tarnished the trust that the public rightly invest in their uniformed services.

That decision has never been justified, yet the damage it did left the 65-year-old assault victim wondering how she could get justice.

At this week’s States meeting deputies have the chance to consign that appeals procedure to the past as part of a new police complaints system.

Let us hope it does not meet for some time.