A former Metropolitan Police officer, Amelia Lancaster, 28, has admitted to multiple fraud offences, including using a deceased person’s bank card for personal purchases on Deliveroo and Amazon. Lancaster, previously stationed at Wimbledon, accessed the card after responding to a hotel room where the individual had passed away from a drug overdose. Between October 31 and November 16, 2022, she accumulated £302.51 in unauthorized charges.
In addition to this incident, Lancaster also used bank card details from four other individuals, including her flatmate and a personal trainer, totalling £301.40 in fraudulent transactions between 2021 and 2022. Her actions spanned across London and Bradford while she served in both the Metropolitan Police and, later, the West Yorkshire Police.
Lancaster’s crimes came to light after her attempt to use a stolen card at a vape shop led to an alert on her victim’s account. The individual, a personal trainer who had allowed Lancaster access to the gym’s staff room, noticed multiple unauthorized £5 transactions and reviewed CCTV footage with the gym owner, identifying Lancaster as the culprit.
At a disciplinary hearing, Chief Constable John Robins confirmed Lancaster’s dismissal from West Yorkshire Police, citing her behaviour as gross misconduct. “Conduct of this nature is not conducive to being a police officer,” he stated. Lancaster expressed remorse, with her defence counsel, Tom Orpin-Massey, stating she regrets her actions deeply.
Lancaster has pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by false representation and misconduct in public office. Sentencing is scheduled for January 31, 2025, at Kingston Crown Court, where Judge Georgina Kent has confirmed that a custodial sentence remains an option. Lancaster remains on unconditional bail pending her sentencing.
