From Nibbling Nights Out to Steroids at Work: The Cleveland Police 2025 Misconduct Files...
- teessidetoday
- Nov 20
- 3 min read
Four Officers Fired, & Countless Questions: What’s Really Happening Inside Teesside's Publicly Funded Extremist Group ?
20th November 2025
Cleveland Police continues to cement its reputation as one of the most troubled forces in the UK, with yet another year dominated by misconduct hearings, officer dismissals, and behaviour that has left the public asking—who exactly is policing the police?
Over the last twelve months, at least four Cleveland Police officers have been dismissed for gross misconduct, whilst numerous others remain on suspension pending investigations. These are just the cases the public knows about— with insiders describe them as “merely the tip of the iceberg” within a force that has been dogged by scandal, corruption, & a merry go round of those tasked to head the disgraced institution since the 1990s.
Below is a breakdown of the officers removed from the force in the past year.
June 2025 – PC Ian Coverdale: The “Boobie Nibbling” Officer...
In one of the most bizarre cases ever to come out of Cleveland Police, PC Ian Coverdale was sacked earlier this year after a night out with colleagues descended into what witnesses described as a “nibbling fest”.
During a four-day hearing at Scotswood House in Thornaby, Mr Coverdale admitted he had put his head between the victim's breasts but claimed any bite was "accidental".
The misconduct panel found his account to be "untruthful" and his actions in December 2023 found to have amounted to gross misconduct.
Coverdale’s behaviour was deemed completely incompatible with the professional standards expected of an officer. His dismissal highlights yet another example of the force’s inability to maintain discipline even among long-serving staff.
March 2025 – Detective John Fitzpatrick: Once “Top Officer”, Now Barred
Once hailed as one of Cleveland Police’s top-performing officers, Detective John Fitzpatrick was dismissed after a misconduct panel found:
He stored confidential police information on personal devices
He took steroids while on duty
Made inappropriate “tongue-in-cheek” comments about colleagues
Despite having taken down numerous 'drug gangs', the panel concluded his behaviour was far below acceptable standards. Fitzpatrick’s fall from grace was said to be symbolic of a force where even the “best” officers are not immune to scandal.
February 2025 – PC Leanne Counter: Dismissed Before Even Completing Her Training
In yet another embarrassment for the force with no public confidence, probationary officer Leanne Counter—who hadn’t even completed her police training—was sacked following a Boxing Day (26th December 2023) incident in which whilst off-duty, punched a woman several times at a party, causing injury..
Cleveland Police’s own disciplinary tribunal found her guilty of gross misconduct and dismissed her. The notion that a trainee officer could behave like this raises serious questions about the force’s recruitment and vetting processes.
November 2024 – Former PC Robert Coffey: False Records and a Domestic Violence Case
Former officer Robert Coffey was dismissed after a Gross Misconduct hearing concluded he had:
Made false entries in police systems
Misled records relating to a serious domestic violence incident dating back to 2019
The consequences were so severe that Coffey was immediately barred from ever serving in policing again. The case demonstrates once again that Cleveland Police’s internal culture around honesty and integrity remains deeply flawed.
A Force in Crisis: “Tip of the Iceberg”
These four dismissals are only the cases that made it into the public domain, Others are said to be languishing on suspension awaiting their hearing, which in the vast majority of cases will result in their dismissal.
However, for decades, Cleveland Police has been associated with allegations of:
Corruption
Misconduct
Wrongful arrests
Investigative failures
Even claims linked to murder cases
Despite repeated promises of reform, new leadership, external audits, and government intervention, the scandals simply keep coming.
Public trust in Cleveland Police remains dangerously low—and with cases like these emerging year after year, it’s clear why.
Until the force addresses its deep-rooted cultural problems, the people of Teesside will continue paying the price for an Extremist Group that cannot even police itself, let alone the streets...
