A Hertfordshire police sergeant has escaped the sack after "shocking" colleagues when he shared illegal extreme pornography on a WhatsApp chat.

In a “one-off episode”, Police Sergeant 2325 Steve Evans posted in a group chat a Peppa Pig video which changed into a clip featuring an adult man performing a sex act with a pig.

At an accelerated hearing which ended earlier this month (February 7), Hertfordshire Chief Constable Charlie Hall decided to let PS Evans remain in the force on a Final Written Warning.

According to a report, PS Evans is respected by his colleagues, but Chief Constable Hall ruled the incident – which took place in March 2019 – amounted to a breach of honesty and integrity, and authority, respect and courtesy, as well as discreditable conduct.

“The video was shared with a WhatsApp group involving colleagues,” the Chief Constable’s report reads.

“It has not been shared more widely or with members of the public.

“Nonetheless it has clearly shocked colleagues receiving the video, with one immediately leaving the group.

“This is indicative of how his colleagues felt about what he had done, its seriousness and that they did not wish to be associated with his actions.

“It also seems likely to me that the individual depicted within the video will have been vulnerable in some way and forwarding such videos risks increasing this vulnerability or the vulnerability of others who may be coerced into making such videos.

“There is no wider evidence of anyone actually being harmed by his sharing of the video however it is important that I consider the possibility of harm to the public and the reputation of the police.”

The WhatsApp group contained 13 people when the video was sent.

The report notes the possession of this type of video is illegal, but it would have been “insufficient to initiate criminal proceedings”, and if a member of the public had shared the video, they would have been given “words of advice” instead.

It adds the video did not cause any actual harm to public confidence in policing because it was shared in a private forum.

The Chief Constable noted PS Evans had served in the force for 17 years and had won multiple Starfish Awards for services to the public.

PS Evans claimed he only found out about the contents of the video after sharing it in the chat.

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“A Peppa Pig video without any wider meaning is not something that is likely to be shared in an adult WhatsApp group,” the Chief Constable said.

“I also cannot believe that Sergeant Evans would not have viewed the video and known its contents before forwarding.

“In fact, I find it more plausible that he forwarded the video on precisely because he did know what it contained, not because he didn’t know.”

His report concludes: “In all the circumstances I believe the public interest in this case is best served by retaining the officer in the service and enabling him to serve the public having learnt a substantial lesson from his misconduct.”

The Final Written Warning is set to last for two years.