Rapist paramedic Andrew Wheeler faced investigation in 2010

Andrew Wheeler was convicted of six sexual offences in January

A paramedic convicted of raping a patient had been reported to police by an ambulance service nearly a decade before he was charged.

Andrew Wheeler, who worked for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST), was jailed in February.

EEAST had reported Wheeler to Cambridgeshire Police in 2010 but he returned to work after police said there was insufficient evidence.

He went on to rape a patient in 2018 and was then suspended.

The BBC has learned Wheeler was suspended following the allegations in 2010 but returned to work after the investigation concluded. No safeguarding procedures were put in place.

Wheeler, from Warboys, in Cambridgeshire, was suspended again following further allegations in 2018 and was dismissed when he was charged by police in September 2019.

Wheeler's offences spanned nearly a decade

In January, Wheeler was found guilty of six sexual offences, including raping a patient in her own home and sexually assaulting another female patient in the back of his ambulance.

He was jailed for 21 years the following month and prosecutors said he "abused the privilege and trust that wearing an NHS uniform brings".

Police said it was "feasible" there might be other victims who had yet to come forward.

Since the conviction, the force has begun investigating two new allegations against Wheeler.

EEAST said it had reviewed and strengthened its safeguarding processes, while police said they had "taken significant steps forward in our investigation of serious sexual offences" in recent years.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said: "During the investigation, we became aware that a previous similar allegation against Wheeler had been made in 2010.

"The investigation at that time concluded there was insufficient evidence to proceed to a prosecution.

"In light of the information received detailing further allegations, the previous investigation was reviewed and reopened.

"This crime was comprehensively reinvestigated and, in light of this investigation and the corroborative value of the more recent allegations, a decision was made to charge."

At the trial, Wheeler was cleared of the 2010 allegation by the jury.

Andrew Wheeler worked for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust

The force said it now has a sexual assault referral centre and specially trained officers who support victims through the investigation process.

The spokesman said they had "expanded [the] rape investigation team, introduced a serious sexual offences training programme for detectives and built stronger relationships with support agencies such as Rape Crisis and worked with them to improve our quality of service to victims".

An EEAST spokesman said: "We took action to report, suspend and ultimately dismiss this individual and are grateful to our police colleagues for their support in pursuing the concerns of our organisation and our staff.

"We remain horrified by the events shared and thank all those who have given evidence for their continued bravery."

The trust said it had strengthened its safeguarding processes, including enhanced recruitment checks, lone-working risk assessments, and more senior involvement in managing allegations.