Stanley Kennett Met Police Scandal: Officer Fired After Secret Coffee Business

The picture has a slightly surreal quality. In a bike shop in Storrington, West Sussex, a police officer is seen behind a counter serving pastries and cappuccinos. The officer is technically still employed and receiving full pay. The room was filled with the aroma of espresso. Bicycles are leaned against a wall by cyclists. Consumers engaging in informal conversation. Behind all of that, the Metropolitan Police is gradually developing a disciplinary case.

Stanley Kennett, a 31-year-old constable with the Metropolitan Police, was that officer. His name is currently on the College of Policing’s barred list. The official explanation seems simple: operating an unapproved business while on leave. But when you examine the details in greater detail, the story seems a bit more nuanced.

Since October 2023, Kennett had been off duty. Police departments frequently suspend officers with full pay while investigations are ongoing. Nevertheless, it produces an odd sort of limbo. Officers are neither employed by the organization nor completely removed from it. People occasionally veer off course in that space—between discipline and resolution.

Kennett formally applied to register The Coffee Cycle as a business interest in April 2024. A week later, the application was denied. That part appears to be fairly obvious. In the UK, police officers must disclose and get permission for any outside business ventures, especially if they might interfere with their duties.

However, the story starts to feel less procedural and more human—possibly even a little reckless—after that. The tribunal’s decision stated that Kennett kept running the coffee business.

Kennett was listed as a director on Companies House when Coffee Cycle Catering Company Ltd. was incorporated in April 2025. On the surface, the company itself seemed quite endearing. Located inside a bike shop, it catered events and served coffee, cakes, and pastries. Social media accounts displayed a clean scene, with cyclists sipping flat whites after long rides, pastries arranged neatly, and espresso machines humming.

It initially appeared to be a tiny local startup. One of those low-key British side projects centered on community and coffee. However, the tribunal noticed a difference.

The operation was characterized as “a full-blown and expanding business” by Commander Andy Brittain. That’s an important phrase. Because things that might have been written off as a pastime suddenly appeared more organized: director’s loan, incorporation documents, hired employees, and active internet marketing. It wasn’t a weekend experiment, to put it another way. It was a legitimate enterprise. The tribunal came to the conclusion that Kennett had a significant role in managing it.

It seems as though the case touches a nerve within contemporary policing as you watch the events play out. In many places, public trust in institutions is already shaky. Uncomfortable questions arise when an officer builds a private business on the side while receiving a salary paid by taxpayers. even though the coffee was really good. Kennett might have had a different perspective on the matter, though.

After months of sitting at home, a suspended officer may start to consider the future. In law enforcement, careers can end abruptly. Revenue may vanish. It may seem sensible to start a business, especially a small one like a coffee shop. Perhaps even therapeutic. Making espresso, serving clients, and sharing happy pictures on the internet. A typical life, borrowed for a short time. However, police force regulations typically don’t allow for much of that kind of flexibility.

Kennett had “blatantly violated an order and instruction,” the tribunal found. It’s blunt language. The argument that he was incapable of comprehending the ramifications of his actions was also rejected by the ruling. From the panel’s vantage point, the company appeared sustained, methodical, and well-organized. No miscommunication. A decision.

Additionally, there is the issue of perception. Operating a business while suspended on full pay, according to Commander Brittain, runs the risk of damaging the reputation of the Metropolitan Police. He claimed that the public would not anticipate serving officers acting in this manner.

It’s difficult to ignore the significance of that concept in disciplinary proceedings. Public trust is just as important to policing as law enforcement. Once headlines are made, even minor decisions can have a big impact. And there were headlines.

Kennett was fired without warning for gross misconduct in February after the misconduct hearing. Additionally, his name was added to the College of Policing’s barred list, which essentially barred him from ever again working in UK law enforcement. That kind of ending is permanent.

But the rhythms of daily life probably continue outside the Storrington bike shop. The town is still traversed by cyclists. Coffee makers continue to hiss. Still, pastries wait for the morning rush behind glass counters. What Kennett himself learns from the episode is less obvious.

Maybe he’ll stay in the coffee business. There have been more bizarre career changes. After all, operating a small café is a respectable career path, even if it started in a contentious way.

However, a question remains when viewing the narrative from a distance. One that silently lingers in the background but to which the tribunal was not required to respond. Was this just wrongdoing?

Or the tumultuous clash between bureaucracy and a suspended officer attempting, albeit awkwardly, to create a new life while the system around him proceeded slowly?

The Metropolitan Police appear to be satisfied with their conclusion for the time being. The badge has vanished. The record has been set. Additionally, the aroma of coffee is still present in the air somewhere in West Sussex.