Officer with police stations.phobia sues Met for £1m

A former police officer is suing the Met Police for £1m in compensation, claiming she developed a phobia of police stations after being repeatedly exposed to "harrowing" scenes at work.

- PAUL KEOGH

Kirstie Coy-Martin says her mental health was ruined by years of having to investigate crimes against children, including attending traumatic scenes of abuse and child death.

The 52-year-old left her work around child abuse in 2016, but says her career ended in 2023 due to the "triggering" of her PTSD by everyday work experiences, including being sent paperwork with a logo showing a baby's foot.

In the end, she was so fragile that she would be triggered into a panic attack simply by being told to attend a police station, she claims.

The "excessive stress" she was placed under led to her suffering a massive breakdown, which resulted in her being retired due to ill health in 2023.

Ms Coy-Martin, of Chichester, West Sussex, is now suing the Met at Central London County Court for £1m in damages, claiming it breached the duty of care it owed to her as an employer.

Her lawyers say her bosses should have known that she was at risk of mental ill health because of her long stint in the child abuse team, and should have done more to protect her. Such work carries a much greater risk of experiencing "harrowing, distressing and shocking events, material and environments", her lawyers say.

The Met denies the claim, saying it is "incredible" for a serving officer to suggest they should not have been asked to attend police stations. The force also says Ms Coy-Martin did not complain about stress during the years she was working on sexual and child abuse investigations, and insists she had not been placed under "excessive" work stress in more recent years.

According to papers filed at the court, Ms Coy-Martin joined the Met in 1997 and worked in child abuse and sexual offence teams between 2005 and 2016.