Special Constable Sacked for Warrant Card Train Gate Trick
A Metropolitan Police Special Constable has been booted from his role for trying to pull rank at a train station. Off-duty SC Shteryu Shterev tried to use his police warrant card to skip through the ticket gate at East Croydon station—and he got caught.
Warrant Card Won’t Get You Out of a Ticket
Shterev had boarded a Thameslink train from London Bridge to East Croydon. When he reached the exit gates, he flashed his warrant card, expecting it to open the barrier. Station staff weren’t having any of it. They explained the card wasn’t valid for fare-free exit—then Shterev got rude.
The spat moved to the excess fare window, where Shterev showed his City of London ID and Met Police ID to back up his protest. But when staff went off to check the rules, he made a quick exit instead of waiting around.
Misuse of Police Privileges Costs Job
At a misconduct hearing, Shterev admitted he’d misunderstood the rules about police travel perks. The panel hit back hard: “Police free travel is a privilege, not a right. Officers must never abuse their privileges.”
“Police officers must understand what their obligations and responsibilities are and must never abuse their privileges.”
Found guilty of breaching the Standards of Professional Behaviour on Honesty, Integrity, and Discreditable Conduct, Shterev was immediately dismissed without notice.
Warning to All Officers: Keep It Clean, Even Off Duty
This case sends a stark message: the public expects police officers to uphold the highest standards 24/7. Any abuse of their position—on or off duty—can cost them their career and public trust.
