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A driver was so incensed by a police car's high speed when it raced past him that he followed it to a police station and reported the 'boy racer' driver to his force.

As a result the driver, Pc Tony Moffatt, was later convicted of speeding and has 'resigned or retired' from Leicestershire Police.

The passenger that day, Pc Jarrod Hobson, remains with the force but, like Mr Moffatt, he is accused of gross misconduct.

Pc Hobson will learn later today whether he is to be sacked over an accusation he lied to to his bosses when he told them he had not noticed his older and more experienced colleague breaking the speed limit.

Pc Hobson, who fulfilled a childhood dream when he successfully applied to join Leicestershire Police two years ago, was a passenger in the marked police car which smashed the 70mph speed limit on the A6 near Loughborough in September 2017.

However, the 36-year-old told his superior officers - and said in signed witness statements - he had been checking his personal mobile phone for messages from his family or had been distracted because he was thinking about a serious assault he had attended earlier in the day.

(Image: Getty)

Pc Hobson's gross misconduct charge could result in his dismissal.

Leicestershire Police believes it is inconceivable he did not notice the signs the car was travelling at high speed - such as the increased noise of its engine, vibration and the fact it was leaving other vehicles in its wake.

A misconduct hearing at force headquarters, in Enderby was told yesterday the two officers were crewed together to respond to blue-light run emergencies.

'Speeds in excess of 90mph'

The panel heard that the officers were returning to Loughborough police station from a false alarm when Pc Moffatt hit speeds in excess of 90mph with no justification and 'undertook' the member of the public's vehicle as they approached the town.

The angry member of the public followed the police car to Loughborough police station, took its details and reported the matter via the force's website.

Pc Moffatt was later identified as the driver, and was convicted of speeding, fined £500 and given four penalty points.

Like Pc Hobson, he is accused of gross misconduct.

He did not attend the hearing but the panel is legally required to issue a ruling on his case.

The panel was told yesterday that Pc Hobson had a legal duty to challenge his colleague's law-breaking or to report it to a supervisor.

Matthew Holdcroft, representing Leicestershire Police, said Pc Hobson had instead 'lied' about being too busy checking his phone to notice the vehicle' was 'rocketing' past other vehicles.

Mr Holdcroft said the Leicestershire Police examined the car's GPS system and downloaded data on its recent history.

The data also established eight other occasions when the then Pc Moffatt had broken the speed limit without legitimate police reasons.

Mr Holdcroft said: "What this data shows is that a police officer was driving a marked police vehicle like a boy racer."

When questioned about Pc Moffatt's driving, Pc Hobson said he had not looked at the car's speedometer, noticed that the vehicle was passing other vehicles at great speed, or sensed that it was accelerating and decelerating rapidly, Mr Holdcroft told the hearing.

He said: "It is plain Pc Hobson failed to challenge former Pc Moffatt. He should have done so.

"We have a police car being driven, at points, at more than 50 per cent faster than other vehicles and we have a police officer saying 'I did not notice'.

"That stupid failure to acknowledge his failure has spiralled out of control , so he now faces dismissal.

"At the very least the public expect police officers to be honest."

'It's been my dream to be a police officer'

Pc Hobson, who was part of a response shift based at Loughborough police station, told the hearing: "Since I was a young boy it's been my dream to be a police officer.

"My intention was not to mislead. I do not lie and I have co-operated with this investigation."

In relation to Mr Moffatt, Mr Holdcroft said the former officer had accepted his failings amounted to gross misconduct.

Mr Holdcroft said: "It is plain these matter constitute gross misconduct, so dismissal would be justified."

Guy Ladenburg, representing Pc Hobson said the officer had no reason to lie about his conduct.

Mr Ladenburg also presented a number of police officers' statements on behalf of Pc Hobson, in which they described him as an honest, hardworking and reliable colleague.

The hearing, which is overseen by a three-member panel led by a legally qualified chairman, will resume today.

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