Derbyshire Constabulary fined after officers burned by petrol bombs in riot training gone wrong in Rotherham
Derbyshire Constabulary has been fined £60,000 after officers were injured when riot training went wrong.
Four officers suffered burns when petrol bombs were thrown at them in the exercise at a training facility in Rotherham.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found they had been exposed to “significant and avoidable risks”.
Officers wearing flame-retardant clothes faced petrol bombs as part of a training drill intended to replicate a public disorder situation.
However, four of the 13 suffered lower body burns, three of whom required hospital treatment.
An HSE spokesperson said all four have since returned to work, but the incident resulted in “permanent scarring, and psychological harm which will have a lasting effect.”
The HSE investigation found that Derbyshire Constabulary had failed to properly plan and risk assess the exercise.
Key failings included:
> Failing to give officers adequate information on the lifespan, care, and inspection of the flame retardant PPE to ensure it provided adequate protection.
> Failing to carry out a suitable risk assessment for the production and deployment of petrol bombs during the training.
> Failing to implement safe systems to control the foreseeable risks created in the course of petrol reception training.
Derbyshire Constabulary pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, following the incident in February 2021.
It was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £9,470 in costs at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on January 19, 2026
After the hearing, HSE inspector Jennifer Elsegood, said: “Being a serving police officer is a job that carries with it levels of risk, however while preparing officers for dangerous situations is important, it must never come at the expense of their safety.
“High‑risk training activities must be planned and controlled with the same care and professionalism expected in any other workplace.
“The risks created by the training should have been identified as part of the Constabulary’s risk assessments and appropriately controlled.
“We hope this case reinforces the importance of thorough risk assessment, robust equipment assurance, and safeguarding those who put themselves forward to protect the public.”