150 police officers disciplined over behaviour on Facebook
More than 150 UK police officers have faced disciplinary action over their behaviour on Facebook, including one officer getting the sack.
The figures, from 41 of the 43 forces in England and Wales and obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act, include instances of officers using the site to harass ex-partners and ex-colleagues, make comments about officers' wives, and suggest they had beaten up members of the public during protests.
Covering 2008 to 2010, the figures also record instances of officers revealing operations, trying to befriend crime victims and posting inappropriate material.
One officer in Hampshire was sacked in 2009 for posting a racist comment.
A further seven officers resigned following complaints, including two special constables from Dorset and one each from Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Essex, North Wales and South Yorkshire.
In the period of 2008 and 2010 a total of 187 complaints were made against officers over their use of Facebook.