Former constable James Tillcock, who joined Thames Valley Police in December 2022 and was based at Bicester Police Station, stole the money during a vehicle search on June 21.
The former police constable was asked to complete a Section 18 search of a vehicle in Kidlington following the arrest of the driver of the vehicle.
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Mr Tillcock was wearing and had activated his body worn video during the search of the vehicle and had stated in the search log that nothing had been seized during the course of the search.
However, during the search, the former police constable located some change in the center console of the vehicle and took some coins.
In an interview on July 16 under caution for the offenses of theft and misconduct in Public Office, Tillcock said: “I was very stupid, I owed £2 to the tuck shop and took £2.”
He used the remaining 50p to pay for a bar of chocolate for his children.
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Chief Constable Jason Hogg said the misconduct was “serious” and fell “well below the standards of behavior expected of a member of the police service”.
“The fact that ex-constable Tillcock committed an offense of theft shows dishonesty on his part,” he added.
Mr Tillcock would have been dismissed had he not resigned from Thames Valley Police on August 12, which took effect on September 9.
About the author
Charlotte joined the Oxford Mail in April 2024.
He studied Multimedia Journalism at Bournemouth University.
Charlotte has a particular focus on the Bicester patch and writes for the Bicester Advertiser as well as the Oxford Mail.
You can find it on X by searching for @charcolesjourno.