The disciplinary hearing by South Wales Police concluded that John would have been sacked for his actions had he not retired from the force in March.

John’s story about testing the device on himself to see if a Christmas mince pie he had eaten earlier would have had any effect on his blood alcohol level was deemed “wholly implausible” by the disciplinary panel.

It was more likely that his conduct was a conscious attempt to inflate his breath test figures during a Christmas anti-drink and drugs driving campaign.

On top of that, John was also found to have had an inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable woman he met through his duties.

The evidence suggested that he had sent her flirtatious text messages over a nine-month period using his work mobile phone. There was even evidence that he had stayed overnight at her property on at least one occasion.

David Ford, the Director of the Independent Office for Police Conduct, has said that “We all have a right to expect police officers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, and the outcome of the hearing demonstrates that those who fail to do so will be held to account.