Stanley Kennett Met Police: Officer sacked after running The Coffee Cycle while receiving full pay
PC Stanley Kennett Met Police was dismissed for gross misconduct after a hearing found he operated an unauthorised business while receiving full pay. The ruling forms part of a cluster of disciplinary actions in which the force dismissed two officers for running businesses while being paid within a week.
Stanley Kennett Met Police: misconduct hearing findings
PC Stanley Kennett, 31, applied in April 2024 to run The Coffee Cycle but that application was declined. The misconduct hearing concluded that, despite the refusal, Kennett continued to engage in and operate the unauthorised business interest. In September 2025 it was confirmed that Kennett continued to operate that unauthorised business while receiving full pay from the force, the ruling said.
Commanding officer Cdr Andy Brittain described the venture as more than volunteering, characterising it as an expanding, incorporated business that benefited from a director's loan and employed staff. He noted PC Kennett's active promotion of the business on social media and described the operation as sophisticated, with Kennett heavily involved at all points.
The Coffee Cycle: operations in Storrington, West Sussex
The Coffee Cycle is based in a bike shop in Storrington, West Sussex. Its website and social media show the business serves coffee, cake and pastries and provides catering for events. The hearing material treated the venture as a commercial, growing enterprise rather than a casual or voluntary activity.
Other dismissals and related headlines
The dismissal of PC Stanley Kennett occurred amid other forced exits over business activity and misconduct. Within the same week, the force dismissed two officers for running businesses while being paid. Last week, firearms Sgt Matt Skelt was sacked for gross misconduct after he worked on and promoted a mobile pizza service while on long-term sick leave.
Additional short-form headlines connected to the broader disciplinary sweep include: "Officer who ran pizza company on sick leave fired", "Police officer sacked after assaulting neighbour", and "Met PC who did not disclose firearms probe sacked. " These line items formed part of the surrounding coverage at the time of the hearings.
Tribunal details in a related misconduct case involving Sean Brierley
A separate tribunal heard about former Det Con Sean Brierley. The panel was told Brierley would have been dismissed if he had not already left the force after being found so intoxicated that he could not walk straight while on duty. The tribunal reviewed footage and witness accounts relating to one evening of concern.
It was heard that on the evening of 2 July 2025, after being told a suspect at Leyton police station was not yet available to be interviewed, Brierley went to the Gravity Well Taproom. Video footage from the east London bar showed him ordering three glasses of white wine over two hours. CCTV captured Brierley returning to the police station later that evening appearing unsteady on his feet, staggering and off balance, the panel heard on 12 February. A custody sergeant gave evidence that Brierley smelt of alcohol, and other staff reported his speech was slurred, the ruling said.
Implications and next steps for force discipline
The rulings underline an enforcement stance on officers engaging in external commercial activity while on full pay and on conduct while on duty. The disciplinary outcomes in these cases ranged from sacking for gross misconduct to findings that would have led to dismissal had officers not already left the force. The force continues to process tribunal findings and to apply established misconduct frameworks in each case.
Details in this article are drawn from the rulings and hearing material made available during the disciplinary process. Where dates and direct findings are unclear in the provided context, the article notes those items as presented in the hearing records.
