An Exeter British Transport Police (BTP) officer has been sacked from the force after he was caught on holiday in Germany riding an e-scooter while drunk.
Former PC Samuel Booty resigned from the force after he was found by German police to be more than two-and-a-half times over the UK legal drink-drive limit, riding an e-scooter back to his hotel in Munich while celebrating Oktoberfest in October 2025.
Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi found that PC Booty’s actions amounted to gross misconduct and, had he not resigned, he would have been sacked with immediate effect.
Earlier this month Booty failed to attend a BTP Accelerated Misconduct Hearing where he was expected to answer allegations that he breached the standards of professional behaviour.
Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi, who chaired the misconduct hearing, said: “Breaking the law is fundamentally incompatible with upholding it, and in this case the officer committed a criminal offence which involved operating a vehicle in a public place while over the legal limit.
“Behaviour like this fundamentally undermines public trust and confidence, and is incompatible with the standards expected of a police officer.
“Policing depends on public confidence, which is why I have taken the decision that had he not resigned, PC Booty would have been dismissed with immediate effect.”
The hearing heard how German police confirmed Booty was stopped after he was spotted riding an e-scooter in heavy traffic.
His speech was slurred and he smelled of alcohol so was breathalised at the roadside.
He was found to be approximately four times over the legal limit in Germany and around 2.7 times over the UK drink-drive threshold.
Back at work, the former BTP officer admitted what had happened, and that he had paid a fixed penalty fine, saying what he did fell “well below the values” he holds himself by.
Chief Constable D’Orsi, chair of the hearing, said the officer’s behaviour amounted to gross misconduct because he had chosen to drive the e-scooter after drinking alcohol while on holiday at Oktoberfest in Germany.
She said she considered his actions to be deliberate, adding he had taken full responsibility.
In the outcome report she said: “I note that he suggests that many others were also riding e-scooters back to their hotels too.
“This point has no bearing on his own actions but serves to illustrate a lack of awareness of the personal responsibility he holds as a police officer. I find that the level of culpability in this case to be high.
Former PC Samuel Booty, based in Exeter, did not attended the hearing, which was held remotely on April 14, 2026.
BTP said he was due to answer allegations that he breached the standards of professional behaviour.
A BTP spokesperson said: “The allegation was that on 5 October 2025, while off duty in Munich, Germany, former PC Booty operated an e-scooter while under the influence of alcohol.
“He was stopped by the German police who conducted both a roadside breath test and a blood alcohol concentration test.
“The results of these tests found that he operated the e-scooter while unfit through alcohol consumption, which constitutes a criminal offence in both Germany and the UK.”
The full report is available here.
