Essex police officers suspended over sexual misconduct allegations

Essex Police referred the incidents involving two police officers to the Independent Office for Police Conduct

Two senior police officers have been suspended over allegations of separate incidents involving sexual misconduct.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was looking into the actions of two Essex police officers.

It said one involved two allegations of sexual assault by one officer on another member of Essex Police.

The other involved an "inappropriate relationship with a junior colleague", it added.

Essex Police confirmed two officers had been suspended over two "completely separate matters".

Essex Police referred three incidents involving two police officers to the IOPC

The IOPC said on 14 February the police force referred a senior officer over "an allegation of a sexual assault on a member of Essex Police".

"Following receipt of new information, on 11 March Essex Police made a referral regarding a separate allegation of sexual assault on another member of Essex Police by the senior officer," it said.

It was now in the early stages of investigating "all of the allegations regarding that senior officer".

It also confirmed that on 24 January it received a voluntary referral from Essex Police "regarding an allegation of a senior officer having an inappropriate relationship with a junior colleague".

It referred to "the conduct of that officer, another senior officer who may not have dealt with the information relating to this behaviour appropriately, and a police staff member who may have disclosed confidential information to someone who was not entitled to know".

This incident was also being investigated.

"The force is aware that if new evidence is uncovered which might merit our decision being reconsidered, the matter should promptly be re-referred", it added.