On February 26, 2026, the Metropolitan Police found itself in the headlines again—this time, for sacking an officer who ran a coffee shop while suspended on full pay. The officer in question, PC Stanley Kennett, had been off duty since October 2023, but that didn’t stop him from launching and managing a coffee business in the quiet village of Storrington, West Sussex. The saga, which unfolded over nearly two years, raises questions about oversight, discipline, and the expectations placed on police officers when they’re away from their official duties.
According to reporting from The Independent and The Times, Kennett’s entrepreneurial journey began in April 2024, when he formally applied for permission to run the Coffee Cycle, a café nestled inside a local bike shop. The request was swiftly declined by police authorities just a week later. Nevertheless, Kennett pressed on. By April 1, 2025, Companies House records showed him listed as the director of the new business, which specialized in coffee, cakes, pastries, and event catering for the local community.
The situation escalated in September 2025, when the Metropolitan Police confirmed that Kennett had “continued to engage in and operate this unauthorised business interest” while still drawing his full salary from the force. This revelation set the stage for a misconduct hearing held on February 12, 2026, where the facts of the case were laid bare.
The tribunal, presided over by Commander Andy Brittain, left little doubt about the seriousness of Kennett’s actions. In his ruling, Brittain described the coffee shop operation as "sophisticated," adding, “PC Kennett appears heavily involved at all points, all of which appears to undermine the submission on his behalf that at relevant points he lacked capacity to understand the significance of the consequences of his actions.” The commander’s words cut to the heart of the matter—this was not a case of accidental rule-breaking or a misunderstanding about what was allowed. Instead, it was, as the panel found, a clear breach of police standards amounting to gross misconduct.
Brittain went further, emphasizing the impact on public trust: “Running a business while suspended on full pay brought policing and the force into disrepute.” In a profession where integrity and public confidence are paramount, actions that might seem minor in other workplaces take on a different weight. For Kennett, the consequences were swift and severe. He was dismissed from the force without notice and placed on the College of Policing’s barred list, effectively ending his career in law enforcement.
Interestingly, Kennett did not deny the facts of the case. He admitted to running the business but argued that his actions amounted only to misconduct, not gross misconduct—a distinction that, in the eyes of the tribunal, did not hold up. The panel was unconvinced by any suggestion that Kennett failed to grasp the seriousness of his decisions, especially given the level of involvement he demonstrated in the day-to-day running and promotion of the Coffee Cycle.
While the reason for Kennett’s initial suspension remains undisclosed—a fact that has left some observers scratching their heads—the focus of the hearing was squarely on his conduct during that suspension. The case has touched a nerve within the Metropolitan Police, a force that has weathered its fair share of scandals and public scrutiny in recent years. For some, it’s a reminder of the importance of clear rules and the need for officers to adhere to them, even when sidelined from their primary duties.
Kennett’s story is not an isolated one. On the same day as his dismissal, another tribunal considered the case of Sean Brierley, a former detective constable who, while on duty, became so intoxicated that he could not walk straight. Brierley, who had already left the force by the time of the hearing, was found to have ordered three glasses of white wine over two hours at the Gravity Well Taproom in northeast London. According to the panel ruling, colleagues described his speech as slurred, and a custody sergeant testified that Brierley “smelt drunk.” Concerned for his welfare, fellow officers even organized a check at his home that night.
Commander Katie Lilburn, chair of the misconduct panel, didn’t mince words in her ruling: “The fact that the former officer was so intoxicated that he could not walk straight meant that he was unfit to deal with a prisoner in custody, which was the purpose of him being at the police station. Being intoxicated while on duty in a police station and in a custody suite, with the attendant risks, is especially dangerous.” The panel concluded that Brierley’s actions amounted to gross misconduct—had he not already resigned, he would have been sacked as well.
Earlier this month, yet another Met officer, Sergeant Matt Skelt, was dismissed for running and promoting his pizza business while on long-term sick leave. Skelt, a veteran of 34 years, had been granted initial permission to operate his pizza firm, but in August 2025, the authorization was rescinded on the grounds that it was “incompatible with his phased return to work and recovery.” Social media evidence suggested he had worked on days when he was officially absent for sickness. Skelt denied gross misconduct and argued that he had not brought the force into disrepute, but the tribunal found otherwise.
These cases, taken together, paint a complex picture of the challenges facing the Metropolitan Police as it seeks to uphold standards and maintain public confidence. They also highlight the sometimes-blurry line between personal enterprise and professional responsibility. While many people might see running a coffee shop or pizza business as harmless side hustles, the expectations for police officers—especially when on paid suspension or sick leave—are fundamentally different. The public, after all, expects those entrusted with upholding the law to abide by it themselves, even in their private lives.
As the dust settles, the message from the top brass is clear: breaches of conduct, whether by moonlighting in business or failing to meet the basic standards of sobriety on duty, will not be tolerated. For PC Stanley Kennett, Sean Brierley, and Matt Skelt, the consequences have been career-ending. For the Metropolitan Police, the hope is that these high-profile dismissals will reinforce the standards expected of all officers—and help restore faith in a force that depends on public trust above all else.