A former Met police officer slept with a vulnerable teenager who turned out to be the subject of a missing person investigation, a misconduct panel heard.

PC Andrew Brooks, who left the force in June, was found to have breached standards of professional behaviour after the liaison, which happened in Maidstone in July 2018.

At a two-day police misconduct hearing it was alleged that PC Brooks met the girl in the town centre and invited her back to his home for sex.

Later that day she revealed she was 17.

The panel heard that, in the days after this meeting, PC Brooks and the teenager exchanged messages and it became apparent she was a missing person, which made her vulnerable.

The officer then continued to pursue a relationship. Furthermore, PC Brooks tried to pressure the girl to conceal his identity.

The panel found PC Brooks was guilty of gross misconduct and had breached professional standards in relation to discreditable conduct and honesty and integrity.

If PC Brooks had still been a serving officer, he would have been dismissed, the hearing concluded.

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