References and dismissals

[B00kworm]

Hi everyone.

I was wondering if there are any former police officers on here who were dismissed from policing who went on to became train drivers?

I applied in Nov 2025 while I was still a serving officer. Been waiting for the right depot for ages but I was dismissed earlier this year. It wasn’t criminal nor safety related, wasn’t dishonesty or integrity issues. Nothing to do with work actually, the most ridiculous thing when you look at the facts but alas. It is what it is. Obviously when I applied I was still serving and it only occurred to me after I passed the psychometrics that the application shows it as my currently employer. I need to update them but I’m curious to know if this will be game changer for me because any reference will state my name, service years, rank upon departure and reason for leaving. Any experience or insights would be most appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Waterlooville]

A friend of mine just went through exactly this, he was serving and then dismissed due to a whatsapp message sent 7 years prior ( 3 year investigation, the usual ). The company were job offer stage as he got to the very end, and then when asked if he had ever been dismissed he had to declare it, the offer was withdrawn and that was the end of his attempt.

 

[Iskra]

Hi everyone.

I was wondering if there are any former police officers on here who were dismissed from policing who went on to became train drivers?

I applied in Nov 2025 while I was still a serving officer. Been waiting for the right depot for ages but I was dismissed earlier this year. It wasn’t criminal nor safety related, wasn’t dishonesty or integrity issues. Nothing to do with work actually, the most ridiculous thing when you look at the facts but alas. It is what it is. Obviously when I applied I was still serving and it only occurred to me after I passed the psychometrics that the application shows it as my currently employer. I need to update them but I’m curious to know if this will be game changer for me because any reference will state my name, service years, rank upon departure and reason for leaving. Any experience or insights would be most appreciated.
Thanks

You might not actually be asked for a reference specifically from your most recent employer. It’s possible you may just be asked for two references, as someone I know recently was. Providing you could get a couple of references from former colleagues or anyone in a respectable career and they are genuine, then I suspect you would be absolutely fine.

I have a feeling that references are a bit of a tickbox exercise these days and are taken less seriously, considering many employers now only confirm someone held a role and for what dates from/to.

 

[saismee]

You might not actually be asked for a reference specifically from your most recent employer. It’s possible you may just be asked for two references, as someone I know recently was. Providing you could get a couple of references from former colleagues or anyone in a respectable career and they are genuine, then I suspect you would be absolutely fine.

I have a feeling that references are a bit of a tickbox exercise these days and are taken less seriously, considering many employers now only confirm someone held a role and for what dates from/to.

Depending on the TOC they may not even check the references. I know my references weren't contacted until some weeks after I started.

 

[AlterEgo]

If you were dismissed after a misconduct hearing this will be a matter of public record, so just beware.

 

[AlpineMonkey85]

Hi everyone.

I was wondering if there are any former police officers on here who were dismissed from policing who went on to became train drivers?

I applied in Nov 2025 while I was still a serving officer. Been waiting for the right depot for ages but I was dismissed earlier this year. It wasn’t criminal nor safety related, wasn’t dishonesty or integrity issues. Nothing to do with work actually, the most ridiculous thing when you look at the facts but alas. It is what it is. Obviously when I applied I was still serving and it only occurred to me after I passed the psychometrics that the application shows it as my currently employer. I need to update them but I’m curious to know if this will be game changer for me because any reference will state my name, service years, rank upon departure and reason for leaving. Any experience or insights would be most appreciated.
Thanks

Unfortunately I’ve just been in this boat. Dismissed last year, no findings of honesty/integrity/ nothing sexual/racial/violent. Just a public perception issue. Got to final offer stage, contract signed, and disclosed it during onboarding. References also asked for reason for leaving.
A few weeks later the offer was withdrawn.

I can’t seeing it being a blockage forever, just need to put distance between the dismissal and the application, get another job or two and it becomes less relevant as time goes on.

 

[Waterlooville]

To add to both the above from alpine monkey and my friends experience (both of which actually happened) there was a specific question on the reference form asking if you have ever been dismissed. Obviously you could lie, however, of this fact is then picked up later on there is also an integrity issue. My friend was in the Met for 16 years, and would have left a job they were already in to start training. He worked out that if he had of hidden this fat or chosen to lie, then started training, potentially he could have been withdrawn from the course once started and ended up with no job.

Really, to get round this you are going to have to hide or not mention any career in policing and have sufficient references to be able to cover your working life elsewhere (which isn't really possible if you have recently been in the police).

Why don't you call your TOC recruitment as a lay person (don't disclose your identity) and just ask them outright what would happen in these circumstances - do they ask, does it matter and what would they do?

 

[B00kworm]

If you were dismissed after a misconduct hearing this will be a matter of public record, so just beware.

Yes, I am aware. All police officers are aware of this. My professional identity as an officer was different to my actual one. I.e maiden name v married name

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==

Unfortunately I’ve just been in this boat. Dismissed last year, no findings of honesty/integrity/ nothing sexual/racial/violent. Just a public perception issue. Got to final offer stage, contract signed, and disclosed it during onboarding. References also asked for reason for leaving.
A few weeks later the offer was withdrawn.

I can’t seeing it being a blockage forever, just need to put distance between the dismissal and the application, get another job or two and it becomes less relevant as time goes on.

Sorry to hear this. After all that work to get there too. What TOC was yours? Did they not ask about why you left policing during the DMI?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==

You might not actually be asked for a reference specifically from your most recent employer. It’s possible you may just be asked for two references, as someone I know recently was. Providing you could get a couple of references from former colleagues or anyone in a respectable career and they are genuine, then I suspect you would be absolutely fine.

I have a feeling that references are a bit of a tickbox exercise these days and are taken less seriously, considering many employers now only confirm someone held a role and for what dates from/to.

I agree references seem a little obsolete nowadays given they don’t actually mention anything about you as a person.

I wouldn’t want to get started and then them find out through references, I’d need to tell them

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==

A friend of mine just went through exactly this, he was serving and then dismissed due to a whatsapp message sent 7 years prior ( 3 year investigation, the usual ). The company were job offer stage as he got to the very end, and then when asked if he had ever been dismissed he had to declare it, the offer was withdrawn and that was the end of his attempt.

Do you know what TOC this was? I’ve heard such contrasting things about it. They say they take trainees with criminal convictions (depending what it is obviously) and they don’t care about non-criminal, not safety etc related dismissals but some clearly do

 

[AlpineMonkey85]

Yes, I am aware. All police officers are aware of this. My professional identity as an officer was different to my actual one. I.e maiden name v married name

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==


Sorry to hear this. After all that work to get there too. What TOC was yours? Did they not ask about why you left policing during the DMI?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==


I agree references seem a little obsolete nowadays given they don’t actually mention anything about you as a person.

I wouldn’t want to get started and then them find out through references, I’d need to tell them

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==


Do you know what TOC this was? I’ve heard such contrasting things about it. They say they take trainees with criminal convictions (depending what it is obviously) and they don’t care about non-criminal, not safety etc related dismissals but some clearly do

They simply asked why I wanted to become a train driver.
People have different opinions about when you should disclose such things. I don’t personally think the DMI is the place to offer up that information as it’s the opportunity to showcase who you are and what you’ve done, rather than being defined by one matter. It should absolutely be disclosed, but I’m of the view that should be post assessments (unless directly asked in interview or on application of course).

Re you last point, I think they do and will take on people who have had none safety related dismissals, it just depends when. I wasn’t even asked about the context of mine, what it involved etc. the fact I had a dismissal in the past 12 month was enough.

Times a healer.

 

[AlterEgo]

Yes, I am aware. All police officers are aware of this. My professional identity as an officer was different to my actual one. I.e maiden name v married name

A TOC is likely to have questions if they discover you are a police officer who was dismissed. If it was for an equality and diversity reason for example they will treat this as seriously as dishonesty. Now, TOC recruiters might be lazy and not undertake any other due diligence, but if I was a recruiter and dealing with a former police officer I'd always stick "Firstname Lastname Police" into Google just to check there are no public records of misconduct etc.

So you may have to prepare yourself for a difficult conversation with a recruitment professional or worse.

Nonetheless, we all deserve a second chance and I hope you will have learned from the experience and are able to kick on in your railway career whatever happens with your recruitment process. Good luck.

 

[Waterlooville]

Yes, I am aware. All police officers are aware of this. My professional identity as an officer was different to my actual one. I.e maiden name v married name

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==


Sorry to hear this. After all that work to get there too. What TOC was yours? Did they not ask about why you left policing during the DMI?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==


I agree references seem a little obsolete nowadays given they don’t actually mention anything about you as a person.

I wouldn’t want to get started and then them find out through references, I’d need to tell them

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==


Do you know what TOC this was? I’ve heard such contrasting things about it. They say they take trainees with criminal convictions (depending what it is obviously) and they don’t care about non-criminal, not safety etc related dismissals but some clearly do

Yes that was LNER. I do hear though that these questions are being asked across all the TOCS.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==

I posted this earlier above but all my posts get blocked so reposted here:

To add to both the above from alpine monkey and my friends experience (both of which actually happened) there was a specific question on the reference form asking if you have ever been dismissed. Obviously you could lie, however, of this fact is then picked up later on there is also an integrity issue. My friend was in the Met for 16 years, and would have left a job they were already in to start training. He worked out that if he had of hidden this fat or chosen to lie, then started training, potentially he could have been withdrawn from the course once started and ended up with no job.

Really, to get round this you are going to have to hide or not mention any career in policing and have sufficient references to be able to cover your working life elsewhere (which isn't really possible if you have recently been in the police).

Why don't you call your TOC recruitment as a lay person (don't disclose your identity) and just ask them outright what would happen in these circumstances - do they ask, does it matter and what would they do?

 

[Purplerain77]

Just reading all this has made me wonder, probably a small situation compared to everyone else’s but just wanted to ask. I was dismissed from a role I only did for 5 weeks, nothing even significant and was kind of a situation where I should have appealed. This was 2 1/2 years ago and I’ve been in another job since. Would this be something to worry about, should i mention it beyond what they’d already ask or is it long enough ago to not worry about. I’m currently in the stage of doing DMI interviews.

 

[Iskra]

Just reading all this has made me wonder, probably a small situation compared to everyone else’s but just wanted to ask. I was dismissed from a role I only did for 5 weeks, nothing even significant and was kind of a situation where I should have appealed. This was 2 1/2 years ago and I’ve been in another job since. Would this be something to worry about, should i mention it beyond what they’d already ask or is it long enough ago to not worry about. I’m currently in the stage of doing DMI interviews.

Unless asked directly, I wouldn’t even mention it.

May be worth deleting that position from your CV to avoid any awkward questions.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Dismissing somebody from a job isn't usually taken lightly. You must have done something seriously wrong. What are you hiding/not telling?

Although there are many good officers in the police, equally there are bad ones. Do we want these people working on the railway? Many people's morals and values are questionable and they are unprincipled.

 

[Iskra]

Dismissing somebody from a job isn't usually taken lightly. You must have done something seriously wrong. What are you hiding/not telling?

Although there are many good officers in the police, equally there are bad ones. Do we want these people working on the railway? Many people's morals and values are questionable and they are unprincipled.

That isn’t necessarily the case, it could have been a ‘totting up’ of minor offences, or something more middling resulting in a misconduct dismissal rather than a gross misconduct dismissal. It’s fairly easy for someone to be dismissed if they have less than two years service, and often with limited recourse.

 

[bramling]

That isn’t necessarily the case, it could have been a ‘totting up’ of minor offences, or something more middling resulting in a misconduct dismissal rather than a gross misconduct dismissal. It’s fairly easy for someone to be dismissed if they have less than two years service, and often with limited recourse.

Yes and there are people around who will find a reason to dismiss someone simply because they dislike them. It happens.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Highly unlikely from a police perspective. Usual reasons for dismissal are: being dishonest, failing background checks, sexual misconduct, discriminary behaviour, unsatisfactory performance or misconduct. Dismissing someone in the force simply because the superior doesn't like someone I find it hard to believe. Being moved on to a different department/force is probably more likely.

 

[Iskra]

Highly unlikely from a police perspective. Usual reasons for dismissal are: being dishonest, failing background checks, sexual misconduct, discriminary behaviour, unsatisfactory performance or misconduct. Dismissing someone in the force simply because the superior doesn't like someone I find it hard to believe. Being moved on to a different department/force is probably more likely.

This is just unhelpful and unfair speculation against the OP, which is contrary to what the OP posted. In the absence of any evidence to suggest the OP is being dishonest, I suggest you just drop it and move on.

Yes and there are people around who will find a reason to dismiss someone simply because they dislike them. It happens.

It does. Even people who have served loyally for years can find a new boss comes in, and they're out for a relatively trivial reason compared to what else goes on within an organisation.

 

[Trackman]

It does. Even people who have served loyally for years can find a new boss comes in, and they're out for a relatively trivial reason compared to what else goes on within an organisation.

It certainly does in the rail industry in my experience, nine times of out of ten they are bullies and a case of 'if your face doesn't fit' especially promotion wise.

I remember once going into a disciplinary investigation as a 'witness' - it was all hearsay.. did they say that?.. and so on. It was laughable. They were not dismissed.

To the OP:
I used to request references for NWR (ok, not a TOC), we had an email for Police references but you'd be waiting ages for a reply, in that time you had to hire them in within a deadline.
A stipulation was you had to have two references for safety critical roles, amongst other things. Gaps in the CV was done at interview level
As the Police reference took ages I would contact the applicant and ask for another reference, which they would oblige or in fact sometimes I called the referee up. Basically you save the reference in a folder on the system and the chances are no-one would look at it again - apart from a person auditing the hiring process and that was random.

Some businesses only gave dates of employment, but if something untoward for the role they are applying for you'd get a tip off from the that company.