A POLICE inspector who ordered back-up to slow down while colleagues made urgent calls for help at a pizzeria punch-up has been sacked after deliberately lying "to cover up his own failings", a misconduct panel has found.

Inspector Jaswant Singh told colleagues to "calm down" despite a police sergeant warning over the radio the scene was "going off like a bottle of pop" at Olivio's in Stourbridge, West Midlands, last year.

A West Midlands Police misconduct panel determined the officer of 24 years experience was guilty of gross misconduct after a "serious" breach of professional standards following the incident of February 23.

The three-member panel found Mr Singh later twice lied to his chief inspector about what happened that night.

Panel chairman, assistant chief constable Carl Foulkes, said: "The panel is satisfied he (Singh) deliberately lied to cover up his own failings on the night, and in doing so impugned the reputation of his colleagues."

He added: "His actions fell well sort of what could reasonably expected of an officer of his rank and experience."

The panel said it found the inspector's account of what happened "implausible".

However, it said "in contrast" the accounts of officers grappling with drunken revellers inside Olivio's including Sgt Mark Butler, who made the back-up call, were "entirely credible on the central issues covering the location of Inspector Singh".

The Dudley-based inspector, who was just over five years from retirement, had insisted he was inside the late-night pizza parlour alongside fellow officers and was able to carry out a proper risk assessment of the situation.

But colleagues said he stayed outside on the busy High Street throughout the fracas.

In evidence, the panel heard a radio exchange on the night, starting at about 2.30am with Sgt Mark Butler stating: "I need officers down on the High Street, like yesterday, please."

Asked where he was by Inspector Singh, the sergeant replied: "Straight to Olivio's, it's going off like a bottle of pop in here."

But moments later the inspector radioed back and said: "Yeah, I'm here now, things have calmed down so people can slow down, but still make, over."

This prompted the sergeant to immediately query: "Gaffer, have you just said people can slow down?" He quickly added: "That's a negative boss. I need them here and I need them now."

Officers responding to the initial back-up call, on hearing the exchange, did carry on to the scene, arriving within minutes to help break up a fight between two groups of men.

None of the police were injured in the trouble which happened in the midst of up to 50 people queuing and eating their food in the takeaway shop that night.

One man involved in the disturbance was detained and later handed a fixed penalty notice.

Continuing the panel's findings, Mr Foulkes said: "On his account, Inspector Singh would have been first (into Olivio's), he would have stood out with his fluorescent jacket on, and making his way to the back, pushing past police sergeant Butler.

"The panel find Inspector Singh's account implausible.

"The panel also finds implausible that in 14 seconds Inspector Singh is able to make his way from near to Chicago's to Olivio's through a rammed area to the rear of the restaurant, risk-assess the situation and transmit the call to slow down."

Giving its outcome, the panel said it had considered Singh's exemplary long-service record and commendations, including one for bravery, but had no other choice but to sanction his immediate dismissal.

Mr Foulkes said allowing father-of-two Mr Singh to keep his job "would undermine the trust junior officers have in senior officers and undermine confidence the public have in West Midlands Police".

Mr Singh has a right to appeal the panel's decision.