Officer who ran pizza company on sick leave fired

Officer who ran pizza company on sick leave fired

The tribunal heard the firearms officer promoted his business on social media, sometimes on days when he had called in sick to the Metropolitan Police

A firearms officer who worked and promoted his mobile pizza service while on long term sick leave has been sacked for gross misconduct.

Metropolitan Police sergeant Matt Skelt, who had been in the force for 34 years, but had ongoing health problems, said he had never contested running a pizza business for which he originally had permission.

During his evidence at a disciplinary hearing in Sutton, south-west London, Skelt said he only did it to prepare for his looming retirement.

The panel's chairwoman, Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams said Skelt's was "well enough to work but not well enough to serve the public in any capacity".

Skelt had been on sick leave for long periods throughout much of 2025 and into January this year when social media posts show he had been working at his pizza business.

The tribunal heard he had previously been given the go-ahead to run his pizza firm but a letter in August 2025 suggested his business interest authorisation was being rescinded as it was "incompatible with his phased return to work and recovery".

Nasreen Shah, for the tribunal's appropriate authority, said despite this, social media searches had shown "there were occasions where Sgt Skelt appeared to be working on days where he was reported absent from the Met for sickness".

'Planning for retirement'

Online posts in September showed he attended several events selling pizza and was working two days a week outside a pub.

Later posts saw the former firearms officer at a birthday party and promoting the firm at a Christmas market.

Skelt had argued that the August letter was not a binding order, but the panel said he should have withdrawn from his public-facing role with the company.

He said he found himself "in the impossible position of following the order or not being able to provide for myself when I retired.

"My reputation means a lot to me and the thought I would be sacked from the police for gross misconduct is incredibly difficult for me to deal with.

"The very last thing I wanted to do was to challenge the authority of the Metropolitan Police."

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