A police officer who regularly appeared on TV confronting law-breaking motorists has been dismissed for gross misconduct after a disciplinary panel heard he committed multiple offences himself.

PC Nick Lovatt, who worked for Derbyshire Police, was followed by cameras for the Channel 5 shows Police Interceptors and Traffic Cops.

He has been sacked after a tribunal found he had committed more than 20 traffic offences by riding motorbikes without insurance or MOT.

Lovatt was also found to have lied to officers when stopped and questioned about the matter in November 2025.

Both TV shows follow police teams in their day-to-day duties tackling road and neighbourhood crime.

Police Interceptors featured Lovatt when it focused on Derbyshire Police during its fourth series, while in 2021 Traffic Cops showed the officer stopping suspected drug dealers.

A tribunal held on 2 September heard Lovatt had been a Derbyshire police officer since 2001 but was stopped while riding a motorbike on 26 November.

When questioned, he stated truthfully the bike had recently been insured but then went on to claim it had not been on the road "for ages".

In fact, the hearing was told, he had used both his own and a friend's bike numerous times during September, October and November, despite knowing they were both insured and registered as being off road.

Lovatt admitted riding the bike but rejected the charge of acting dishonestly or without integrity.

He admitted breaching professional standards with respect to discreditable conduct but did not accept he and breached standards of honesty and integrity or that his conduct admitted to gross misconduct.

In finding gross misconduct, Chief Constable Simon Blatchly said the officer's actions were "deliberate, purposeful and repeated" which "significantly harm public trust and confidence".

"An officer committing a criminal offence is extremely serious indeed, as is any example of dishonesty," he said.

"This force, like every police force, is committed to preventing crimes such as these and routing out dishonesty.

"For an officer to demonstrate both, it has to be treated extremely seriously."