Police officer who crashed while drink driving with toddler branded 'highly irresponsible'

Abigail Pigram was told she would have been dismissed by the force if she had not resigned at an earlier date, following a disciplinary hearing.

The off-duty PC crashed her car in Vale Mill Lane, Keighley after attending a birthday party with the child in August 2022. The car slid down an embankment and collided with a fence.

She left the scene with the child at around 6pm, without reporting the crash, but returned 90 minutes later and spoke to officers at the scene.

After confirming she was the driver, Pigram was breathalysed and found to be more than twice over the legal drink driving limit.

In February last year, Pigram was found guilty of driving over the prescribed limit of alcohol, disqualified from driving and fined £200.

Her case went to trial after she pleaded not guilty. Pigram said she drank one glass of prosecco at the party but then drank more alcohol after the collision.

In a ruling, a police misconduct panel said she “created a substantial risk of serious harm through her actions”.

It added: “A road traffic collision did occur. Former PC Pigram did not offer any explanation for the accident which might have prevented the panel from concluding it would not have happened had she been entirely sober.

“The panel found therefore that alcohol was most likely the overriding factor which caused the collision. The panel also found that significant reputational harm is likely to follow from this incident.

“Drink driving has been socially unacceptable for decades. When a police officer, who is expected to enforce this important piece of law, commits the offence themselves, public confidence is inevitably harmed.

“For a police officer to convey a small child in a car after drinking over the limit, is also highly irresponsible and is also likely to harm trust and confidence in the police.”