Gary Story Cumbria Police misconduct ended with a permanent bar from policing after a panel ruled the detective sergeant would have been dismissed for testing positive for cocaine at work. Story had been picked in August for a random drug test by the force’s anti-corruption unit.
The report said the test found benzoylecgonine, the substance the body creates when it breaks down cocaine. It recorded a level of 940 nanogram per ml of urine, against a threshold of 150, making the result six times over the acceptable limit.
August test and urine sample
Story first told anti-corruption officers he was unable to provide a urine sample. He was then given extra time and liquid intake, and produced one three hours later.
A misconduct panel later ruled that he would have been dismissed had he not resigned days before the hearing. Story did not attend the hearing, and the report said he fully admitted the case.
Barred from policing
The panel found that Story committed gross misconduct and placed him on the barred list, ending his ability to serve for any police force. That outcome means the case is not just a disciplinary finding inside one constabulary; it is a permanent prohibition on future policing work.
Chief Constable Darren Martland said, "I hope that the proactive action taken by the constabulary reassures the public that we will hold our officers to the highest standards and where they fall short, action will be taken."
What remains with the case is the contradiction built into the record: Story said the ingestion happened while he was off duty and under significant stress and alcohol intoxication, yet the panel still treated the cocaine-positive result at work as gross misconduct. The report does not explain what specific circumstances led to his taking cocaine, and the ruling leaves him out of policing for good.
