Ex-officer on card misuse charge

Last year the Met withdrew 1,400 force credit cards

A former Metropolitan Police (Met) detective has been charged as part of an ongoing inquiry into unauthorised spending on police force credit cards.

Former Det Sgt John Gallagher, 52, has been charged with misfeasance in public office between 2005 and last year.

He is the third person to be charged over the use of the Met's American Express charge cards.

Det Con Matt Washington, 36, and Det Sgt Richard de Cadenet, 38, also face charges relating to the inquiry.

Mr Gallagher was bailed until a hearing at the City of London Magistrates' Court on 8 July.

Det Sgt Richard de Cadenet, who was in the Met's counter-terrorism unit, appeared in court in April, also charged with misfeasance in public office. He resigned after his arrest in October 2007.

Det Con Washington, also in the counter-terrorism unit, appeared in court last month to face a charge of misconduct in a public office.

An earlier investigation by police watchdog the Metropolitan Police Authority resulted in 1,400 credit cards being withdrawn and found almost £2m of police expenses unaccounted for.

This figure dropped to £499,000 in January. The current inquiry is looking into the whereabouts of just over a third of that money.