Sex-on-duty policeman acquitted

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A senior police officer who met a woman for sex in a room at Gatwick Airport while on duty has been cleared of wilful misconduct.

A jury at Southwark Crown Court found British Transport Police Inspector Masood Khan, 41, not guilty after deliberating for less then 10 minutes.

Mr Khan had told the court he regretted having sex with the 43-year-old woman at the airport railway station in 2006.

He said he thought he would be off duty when he made the original arrangement.

Earlier the jury had been told by judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith that it had to decide whether Mr Khan's behaviour was so serious it amounted to criminal misconduct.

CCTV footage

Mr Khan, of Coulsdon, south-east London, met the woman through a website for people who want to find dates with people in uniform.

CCTV footage from the station showed the pair going into a small office at the end of one of the platforms and emerging 20 minutes later on 23 July.

The police inspector, who has been an officer for 15 years, said in court yesterday: "It was absolutely the wrong thing to do, morally and professionally. I should never have done it."

Prosecutor Michael Mulkerrins told the court that at the time, Mr Khan was the most senior officer on duty in charge of the south east rail network and had a team of 20 officers serving under him.

Mr Khan said he had kept in contact with his office by mobile and radio during the meeting.

But he agreed that his conduct undermined the integrity of an inspector because staff would have thought he was carrying out police duties.

His barrister, Kevin Baumber, had told the jury his client's behaviour amounted to "misbehaviour but not criminal behaviour".

After the court hearing, a British Transport Police spokesman said: "We have to consider whether there will be any internal disciplinary action."

He said it was possible Mr Khan could be fired and added that it was not known when the matter would be considered.

Mr Khan was suspended on 25 July 2006, two days after the incident, and has remained suspended since then, he added.