Bedfordshire Police officer quits before being sacked for anti‑gay, anti‑trans and anti‑immigration posts

A Bedfordshire Police officer has resigned just days before a gross‑misconduct hearing after investigators uncovered a series of hateful posts targeting LGBTQ+ people and asylum seekers on his public X (formerly Twitter) account.

Former officer Gary Lorenc, who used the handle Bootneck77, was found to have posted abusive, insulting and discriminatory messages throughout 2023 and 2024 - directed not only at LGBTQ+ communities but also at MPs, including David Lammy, Bell Ribeiro‑Addy and Jeremy Corbyn. 

An independent panel ruled last week that Lorenc had breached multiple standards of professional behaviour, including equality and diversity, authority, respect and courtesy, and discreditable conduct. Panel chair Assistant Chief Constable Vaughan Lukey said: “The messages when considered together presented a disturbing picture of this former officer’s views, which clearly demonstrated his prejudice based on ethnicity, sex and sexual orientation which are incompatible for any serving member of the police service.

“His views displayed attitudes that were the antithesis of the fairness and impartiality required of police officers and therefore unacceptable.”

Although Lorenc did not attend the misconduct hearing, the panel concluded that he would have been dismissed without notice had he still been serving. His early resignation in January did not prevent further action: he will now be placed on the College of Policing Barred List, permanently blocking him from returning to policing or similar professions.