An on-duty police officer who took photographs of a woman posing with a sex toy alongside his colleague has been sacked by Hertfordshire Constabulary.

PC Mark Crompton, from Stevenage, also picked up the woman in a police vehicle, where he failed to report an officer taking explicit images.

The officer, who served the force for 15 years, was dismissed after a misconduct hearing into the two incidents - which took place in December 2012 and January 2013 - found his behaviour had breached professional standards.

PC Crompton had worked in uniform roles, including roads policing and intervention, and was based in the Armed Policing Unit at Luton Airport when the investigation began.

Chief Constable Charlie Hall, who made the decision to sack PC Crompton, said “what happened cannot be defended. It is disgraceful behaviour for an on-duty officer to engage in."

The hearing on February 16 heard PC Crompton accept he, along with another officer, had picked up a woman he was in a casual sexual relationship with in a police car.

She had been drinking alcohol and exposed herself, which the other officer, referred to as PC B, photographed. PC Crompton was aware, but failed to stop or report the incident.

PC Crompton also accepted while on-duty he and PC B had visited the woman, where she was encouraged to use a sex toy. PC Crompton took a photograph of PC B in uniform standing next to Ms A while she was naked from the waist down.

Chief Constable Hall found the officer had breached the standards of professional behaviour a third time by failing to report the behaviour of the other officer.

All three allegations amounted to gross misconduct.

It was noted there was no suggestion significant harm was caused to the woman, or the officers had failed to respond to police incidents as a result of their actions.

Chief Constable Hall noted PC Crompton had been a “highly thought of police officer” with a set of commendations, and was spoken well of by colleagues.

However, it wasn’t enough to save his job. Chief Constable Hall said: “What happened is outrageous and significantly damages public confidence.

“I am only pleased it has come to light, so I can demonstrate to the public how seriously I take this matter."

PC Crompton has been sacked and placed on the barred list.