A former Cambridgeshire police officer has been barred from the job after using racial slurs at a nightclub. Detective Constable Daniel Buckett was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour after an incident on December 2, 2021.
It was alleged that he had used his warrant card for a non-policing purpose, which was to secure entry to or remain within the Lola Lo nightclub in Cambridge. He was also alleged to have used a racial slur to describe the nightclub’s doorman.
Buckett was found to have committed gross misconduct and given a final written warning in September 2023. At Lysander House in Tempsford, a remitted hearing was conducted for Buckett on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) successfully applied for a judicial review.
The panel decided the culpability for Buckett using his warrant card for non-policing activities was high, as the act was intentional and deliberate to gain a personal advantage. This helped Buckett to gain trustworthiness to stay at the nightclub.
The panel found the culpability of Buckett using racial slurs as high, as testimonials submitted on behalf of Buckett could not explain how and why he would use such language. it found that the language was used because Buckett was frustrated but that did not excuse or explain his behaviour.
The panel also decided the harm level for the use of his warrant card was medium, as the pubic would not expect police officers to use their card for personal advantage. There was also the additional risk that the card could be taken and used by a member of the public.
The harm level of Buckett using racial slurs was decided to be high, as the panel found Buckett’s actions would undermine confidence in his ability to discharge his duties fairly and would damage the reputation of the police generally. It was argued the incident was isolated and undirected, but the panel decided this would not ease public concern.
Buckett has been placed on the College of Policing’s barred list. The panel concluded that Buckett would have been dismissed had he still been a serving officer.
Chief Constable Simon Megicks said: “We always demand the highest possible standards from all our officers and staff, both on and off duty.
“Danny Buckett fell far short of that, and we welcome the fact that his behaviour was identified. We want to hear about any officers and staff who do not uphold the values we expect and encourage people to call it out by confidentially reporting behaviour into our Professional Standards Department.”
Source – Cambridge news
