A POLICE financial investigator has been been sacked for discreditable conduct.

A disciplinary hearing found that there was a "grave lapse" in the behaviour of Detective Constable Nicholas Doherty.

Last December, the 43-year-old was unanimously cleared by a jury of groping a woman's breasts in Barrow town centre 16 years ago.

Doherty, of Powerful Street, Walney, denied indecently assaulting the woman in December 1999.

The alleged incident was only reported to the police after he had been arrested in late 2013 following an unrelated allegation of rape.

He was cleared by another jury at the Warwick Crown Court of raping a woman in a hotel room while he was attending a conference in Stratford-upon-Avon on the recovery of the proceeds of crime.

Doherty had denied two charges of raping the woman, one of attempted rape and one of assault by penetration – and was found not guilty of all four charges.

A police spokesman said: "The three-day hearing was held for DC Doherty to answer allegations that his conduct, while attending a Regional Asset Recovery Team Practice Conference on February 27 and 28, 2012, amounted to a breach of the Police Officer Standards of Professional Behaviour, namely discreditable conduct.

"The panel concluded that misconduct of the nature that DC Doherty displayed in February 2012 was a grave lapse of the Standards of Professional Behaviour. These are not the standards that the public ought to be exposed to and those who demonstrate such lapses are not fit to act in a professional capacity.

"The panel therefore concluded that DC Doherty's conduct was so serious that the only possible outcome was that he be dismissed from the police force without notice."

Deputy Chief Constable Michelle Skeer said: "We expect the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and conduct, from all police personal, whether they are on or off duty. Cumbria police take all allegations of breaches of the police officer Standards of Professional Behaviour seriously; I can reassure communities that we investigate all cases of this nature thoroughly and that the final case is then presented at a public hearing in order to show transparency.

"Anyone with any concerns about the conduct of officers or staff should contact Cumbria Police on 101 and ask the speak to the Professional Standards Department. Alternatively you can make a complaint by using our online complaint form which is available on our website at www.cumbria.police.uk."

Barrow detective cleared of groping woman read here