A POLICE officer accused of withdrawing hundreds of pounds from his grandmother-in-law’s account before reporting it to the bank as fraud has been cleared of gross misconduct by a professional standards hearing.

PC Stephen Watson, who is based at Durrington Police Station, was accused of gross misconduct at a hearing at Sussex Police Headquarters in Lewes.

The 41-year-old was accused by the professional standards department of withdrawing money from Joyce Field’s bank account on two separate occasions before phoning Barclays Bank and reporting £450 being taken fraudulently.

A previous hearing last month heard that on November 22, 2013, PC Watson withdrew £200 at a cashpoint at a Tesco superstore in Littlehampton while on a shopping trip for Mrs Fields. Then on November 28 he left a family gathering to withdraw £250 from her account at a cash machine in Wick Parade, Littlehampton.

Six days later he attended Mrs Fields’ home after she became concerned by the £200 transaction from November 22.

The hearing was told that Mrs Fields is in her 80s and has the early stages of dementia.

PC Watson was asked to call the bank on her behalf and told Barclays staff that she did not know how the transaction was made.

After relaying questions and answers between bank staff and Mrs Fields, PC Watson then told the security team she wanted the two transactions (worth £450) declared fraudulent – failing to tell them he made the transactions and denying he knew her pin, the hearing was told.

Barclays was due to credit her account with the money if paperwork sent to them was signed within ten days. But the forms were not returned, before a criminal investigation was launched.

Sussex Police Professional Standards Department accused him of discreditable behaviour breaching honesty and integrity.

But PC Watson claimed Mrs Fields asked him to get the cash both times and that he forgot he made the transactions.

His barrister Mark Aldred said the officer was as an “interpreter” during the phone call.

PC Watson will return to work on full duties.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “Having considered the case against PC Watson, the panel reached the decision that the case was not proven.”

A Police Federation rep for PC Watson declined to comment.