A police inspector based at High Wycombe Police Station who had been drinking for up to seven hours after a staff training day punched a man while on the train home, a misconduct hearing was told today.

Inspector Chris Davidson had been drinking with colleagues before boarding a train where a member of the public joined in a private conversation with the officers and started verbally abusing the officers.

Prosecutor Pravin Fernando told a police misconduct hearing how the group had been in The Snug bar in High Wycombe from about 3.30pm until 10.30pm when they boarded a train where the pair were talking about "police fit."

"Inspector Davidson says of Sergeant McEvoy that she was a four to five out of 10 since she had moved to Aylesbury and that she was a 10 out of 10 when she was living in Watford," he said.

He continued: "This comment engaged a response from an unknown male who said something like, 'Four at best mate, more like a three or a two'.

"Sergeant Ince says that he told this male to 'Shut up mate, it's nothing to do with you."

The misconduct tribunal heard how the man, who was accompanied with a woman and carrying a skate board, hit back and said: "You shut up fan man, I don't give a f***. I'll say what I want, bruv.

The group, which included Insp Davidson, Sergeant Phillip Ince, Sergeant Gerry Byrne, acting sergeant James Surman and Sergeant Hayley McEvoy, had been at a staff training day before a train to Aylesbury on July 11 2016.

Mr Fernando added: "Sergeant Byrne says he heard the male saying something along the lines of 'c**t' and then Sergeant Ince saying: 'Mind your language.' The male then said: 'I will if you stop staring at me you fat c**t.

"He then says he went up to the male, identified himself as a police officer and he didn't hear anything more from the male. Sergeant Burn gets off at Princess Risborough leaving on the train."

The prosecutor added that the man kept quiet until Sgt. Byrne left the train but the verbal exchanges then started up again until Inspector Davidson got up and strode down the carriage aisle towards the man before the pair exchanged a few punches.

The group got off the train at Aylesbury and Mr Fernando read a series of texts sent by Davidson to his colleague in the hours afterwards.

"'Thanks for keeping me calm, all I wanted to do was explode'," he read.

"'I would have likely walked away with two black eyes and no job'.

A text sent at 0.26am the following morning read: "It just takes a lot of restraint to stop exploding sometimes. That little f***er pushed my buttons and caught me with a sucker punch.

"Lucky he did really because I had no justification for smashing the f*** out of him."

"It's plain what Inspector Davidson means by this," continued Mr Fernando.

"He admits that he had no justification for punching this individual. After going over and smashing him about, he is lucky that he caught him."

Davidson denies three breaches of policing Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of honesty and integrity, use of force and discreditable conduct.

On July 18 2016 he told Superintendent Ed McLean that he went over to the man to calm the situation but as he approached the other man swung at him and punched him on his right eye.

One of the police officers on the train saw Inspector Davidson throw at least three punches although he told a misconduct hearing that he did not know who swung first.

The disciplinary hearing continues.