A police officer who clashed with Sports Direct staff over a basketball is accused of bullying and abusing his position. 

When PC Stuart Ball was told a basketball he wanted to buy was lost property that was not for sale, he allegedly claimed he had “finder’s rights” to it. 

He revealed he was a police officer and said the shop assistant should go with him to the police station, before taking photos of her on his phone and telling her “if you want to work in retail you had better get used to this sort of confrontation”, or words to that effect. 

The notice for his misconduct hearing says PC Ball then got into a “heated” exchange with the shop manager, who asked him to leave the shop. 

At PC Ball’s insistence, the manager eventually agreed to record that the officer had found the ball and that he would drop the ball into a police station, the notice says.

The manager took the ball into the station the following day and complained about the officer’s behaviour - prompting him to accuse the manager of theft and threatening violence that made him fear for his personal safety. 

PC Ball is accused of dishonest and malicious attempts to initiate criminal proceedings against the manager. 

His alleged conduct breaches the police standards for honesty and integrity and for discreditable conduct. 

He will face a misconduct hearing at the Portishead HQ of Avon and Somerset Police.
