A volunteer police officer has been sacked by his force after being caught taking plastic bags worth a total of £1.20 from the supermarket where he worked – despite later repaying the money.
Luke Hodgson, a special constable with West Mercia Police, was dismissed by Sainsbury's for failing to pay for the 40p carriers on three occasions in the space of a fortnight.
He has now been fired from his unpaid policing role and placed on the barred list preventing him from joining another force.
Giving his finding, West Mercia Chief Constable Richard Cooper said while he accepted the misconduct proceedings had been 'difficult' for Mr Hodgson, the 'integrity' of the force was more important.
Even though he had no previous disciplinary issues, and had repaid the money, committing the thefts 'fundamentally undermines his ability to function as a police officer', the police chief added.
On three occasions, Mr Hodgson took plastic bags without paying for them while using the self checkout tills at the end of his shifts at a Sainsbury's supermarket, according to a record of the misconduct case.
Each time he had to acknowledge on the screen that 'no bags' had been used.
This happened three times in the space of 12 days, with the bags he took worth a total of £1.20.
Special Constable Luke Hodgson was sacked by Sainsbury's and West Mercia Police after failing to pay for 40p carrier bags at the self-service checkouts at the store where he worked on three occasions in the space of a fortnight (stock image)
He was summarily dismissed for gross misconduct by Sainsbury's on December 12, 2025 after a disciplinary hearing.
Mr Hodgson did not dispute failing to pay the bags, according to the police misconduct finding.
Considering his fate, Mr Cooper said he assessed whether the volunteer officer may have been 'tired' at the end of his shift at the store.
But he also took into account the fact that receipts showed he had paid for bags on other occasions, and had received training on using the self-service check-outs.
The police chief concluded that Mr Hodgson 'did know that payment was required for the bags and chose not to offer such payment'.
Factors in reaching his conclusion included 'the three repeated occasions in quick succession where SC [Special Constable] Hodgson has actively confirmed that no bag had been used', as well as his ability to 'navigate' the 'straightforward' self-service check-out system.
'An ordinary person would consider this action, to avoid payment when it was obviously required, to be dishonest,' he added.
While the 'monetary value' of the thefts was 'low' from the store's perspective, they represented 'greater harm' to the police given that 'officers must act honestly given the reliance on reliable testimony in the gathering of evidence'.
'The public expect nothing more from the police service than for them to be trustworthy,' Mr Cooper added.
Additionally, his actions represented 'an abuse of trust' over his role as an employee.
While the fact he had repaid the £1.20 was a 'mitigating factor,' Mr Cooper concluded that 'he acted dishonestly rather than inadvertently as claimed'.
'My finding is that SC Hodgson knowingly took bags belonging to his employer without paying for them on three occasions,' he added.
'This is theft.
'This breaches the standards of professional behaviour relating to honesty and integrity and it discredits the service, both to a level that amount to gross misconduct.'
Being sacked for theft 'fundamentally undermines his ability to function as a police officer,' he added, saying the absence of other matters of concern from his special constable role did not amount to 'exceptional circumstances' meriting a reprieve.
'Indeed, dismissal is the necessary outcome,' the finding concludes.
'Having arrived at the conclusion of deliberate dishonesty amounting to theft, public confidence cannot be maintained by SC Hodgson retaining the office of constable.
'He will therefore be dismissed without notice.'
As well as being fired by the force, which covers Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire, he has also been placed on the College of Policing barred list, preventing him joining another force.
Mr Cooper added: 'I acknowledge that these proceedings will have been difficult for SC Hodgson but ultimately my greatest concern must be the integrity of the service.'
After the Daily Mail led the way with our Banish the Bags campaign, the introduction of charges in 2014 saw sales of single use plastic bags drop by 98 per cent in a decade.
Stores must charge a minimum of 10p, but in 2025 Sainsbury's raised the price of its reusable plastic bags to 40p each.