The drug that gets officers sacked

Frontline police officers in England and Wales have been sacked or disciplined for taking bodybuilding steroids amid warnings of a “culture” of use across forces, i has learned.

Anabolic steroids, synthetically produced variants of the male hormone testosterone, are commonly used by men wanting to bulk up and improve athletic performance.

The drugs are Class C and legal to own for personal use but can only be issued by a pharmacist, making it a criminal offence to supply them.

But police forces have a “zero tolerance” approach to their use and officers face the sack if they are caught using any kind of drug, unless they voluntarily come forward to admit they have a problem.

The NHS warns that steroid misuse can cause aggressive behaviour, mood swings and paranoia, while experts have expressed fears that it puts police officers at risk of being blackmailed by criminals.

i analysis of police misconduct cases found there have been at least 12 internal investigations since 2018 in England and Wales where an officer was found to be taking steroids, with half of those coming to light in the past two years.

Nine forces dealt with at least one case of an officer suspected of taking steroids in the past five years, a separate Freedom of Information request reveals.

However, the number of officers thought to be taking the drugs is believed to be significantly higher.

One former officer who took steroids told i use of the drugs is the “worst kept secret in policing” and there is a “massive culture” of steroid misuse among frontline officers.

Many recruits turn to anabolic steroids because of the physical demands of the job and anxiety over body image, the former officer said.

It comes amid fears that the UK is facing a wider epidemic of steroid abuse. The number of addicts is believed to have increased from around 50,000 a decade ago to more than half a million today.

Last month, former Pc Isaac Lanceley was found to have committed gross misconduct by Merseyside Police after testing positive for steroids in July.

He would have been dismissed without notice had he not already resigned. Similar cases have been heard by Lancashire Police, Greater Manchester, Essex and Lincolnshire.

Lee Ashby, a former Met firearms officer, quit after testing positive for steroids earlier this year.

And Wayne Couzens, the former Met officer who abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard, was suspected of using the body-building drugs.

Former colleagues say Couzens became “obsessed” with the gym after joining the Met in 2020 and told MailOnline: “There are some pictures of Couzens where his arms are huge so it would not surprise me at all.”

The former officer who took steroids told i: “That stuff is the worst kept secret in policing.

“I wouldn’t say for certain ’50 per cent of cops do it’, but is there a culture? In my opinion, yes there’s a massive culture and it’s very confusing for officers.

“I was very naive, I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong.”

He added: “I always looked up to big men…when I joined the police, the guys that teach you when you first start, they seemed Herculean.

“There are pressures of how you should look, men looking a certain way that isn’t attainable…there’s a lot of ego in policing, that ties in.”

The former officer also said he believed being more physically imposing would help him in the job.

Describing a colleague who tested positive for steroids, he added: “He was used for a purpose, I’m not saying they [senior officers] knew he was taking steroids, but he was the kind of person you wanted going through a door first.

“These people, they serve a purpose…you want the impact factor. There’s certain people still serving now in that category.

“People might say you need ’cause’ [to decide if they should be tested for steroids], I would suggest the cause is the size of their arms.”

Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Met Police, has warned that there will be an increase in rogue officers being unmasked as he seeks to turn around the force’s image.

Other forces are also taking a harder line on misconduct as public confidence in policing has fallen to a historic low.

Experts believe the use of image and performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs) has become “normalised” among thousands of men driven by increased anxiety over body image.

Doctors at the Priory Group, which provides private mental health care, believe the number of addicts has rocketed from as few as 50,000 ten years ago to more than 500,000 today.

“Users do not see themselves on a par with the stereotypical drug addict,” said Dr William Shanahan.

“They are often employed, with ordered lives and nice homes. They see themselves as engaging in a healthy lifestyle choice.

“The primary goal is to achieve a more attractive body. Many people don’t realise the dangers, or the severity of the consequences.”

Unlike members of the Armed Forces, police officers are not routinely tested for drugs but can be asked to provide a urine sample at random, or by their force’s Professional Standards branch if they are suspected of misuse.

Professor Jim McVeigh, who has been studying the misuse of anabolic steroids for decades, said very little research has been carried out into the professional profile of addicts.

“Misuse of steroids by police officers has been looked at in the United States,” he told i. “But there hasn’t been a great deal written about employment in this country.”

Prof McVeigh has given evidence as an expert witness in a number of police misconduct cases involving steroids, and he believes frontline officers could be particularly vulnerable due to the demands of their job.

“It’s about men wanting size and strength – if you’re big enough and confident enough you don’t have to use a weapon,” he said.

“A certain level of confidence and physicality is going to be required in policing. It’s certainly a significant concern, and not just for the obvious reasons.

“Police officers will buy their steroids from within the community, the same as the majority of people.

“Whoever supplies a police officer then ‘owns’ them. That would be my concern.”

i sent Freedom of Information requests sent to all 43 forces asking if steroid use had been linked to any misconduct cases in the past five years.

Of the 30 forces which responded, nine confirmed they dealt with at least one case of an officer suspected of taking steroids. Twenty-one forces said they did not have any records relating to steroids and two refused the request.

Prof McVeigh believes there should be more routine drug testing and more support for police officers using steroids.

“If police forces don’t have these kinds of records, don’t you think they would want to?” he said.

A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesperson said: “The vast majority of police officers and staff fulfil their duties in serving the public to the highest standard…where officers don’t meet the expected standards of behaviour, including those who test positive for use of illegal drugs, they will be dealt with directly, and this could result in them losing their jobs or in the most serious cases, criminal conviction.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “There is no place for drugs within policing. Any officer found to have taken illicit drugs, including steroids, should expect to be dealt with swiftly and appropriately by their individual force.”

‘Myriad of health risks’: Anabolic steroids and why police are banned

Image and performance-enhancing drugs have become widely used in the UK, predominantly by young men, as a convenient and easily-obtained means of achieving the “perfect” body shape, experts say.

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) – synthetic derivatives of the male hormone testosterone – are generally the drug of choice.

There are thousands of options available including drugs that can be injected into the muscle, taken orally as tablets, or rubbed into the skin as a cream.

Taking them without medical advice, to increase muscle mass and improve athletic performance, can cause serious side effects and addiction, the NHS warns.

Steroid misuse can cause aggressive behaviour, mood swings and paranoia, as well as a raft of physical health issues, according to the health service.

Dr Shanahan, from the Priory, said there are a “myriad of health risks” for people taking them outside of being prescribed them by a doctor.

“The so called ‘roid rage’ is not actually very common, unless steroids are mixed with alcohol,” he said.

“The impact for users is usually much less visible – from muscle damage to neurological damage – making it harder for friends and family to spot, intervene and support an addict.

“Users suffer from increased anxiety levels, depression and impaired cognitive abilities.

“There are physical health dangers too, from increased acne and hair loss to erectile dysfunction and fertility issues, development of male breasts, heart problems, liver damage, kidney damage, damage to the nervous system, prostate cancer, and so much more.”

Why are police banned from taking them?

Steroids are a prescription-only Class C drug, meaning it is not illegal to own them for personal use but it is a criminal offence to supply them.

Possession or importing steroids for the purpose of supply (which includes giving them to friends) carries a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison, or a fine or both.

Police forces have a “zero tolerance” approach to drug-taking, with officers facing the sack unless they voluntarily admit they have a problem.

Experts have expressed concerns that due to the nature of obtaining the drugs without a prescription, it puts police officers at risk of being blackmailed by criminals.