A former police officer has been formally dismissed after a misconduct panel found he had behaved inappropriately.

The ruling means that if he had not already left the force, he would be sacked.

Allegations that the ex-officer behaved inappropriately towards police colleagues saw him being subject to a disciplinary hearing at Norfolk Constabulary’s headquarters in Wymondham last month.

The panel found his conduct had “breached the expected standards of professional behaviour” and amounted to “discreditable conduct”.

Its findings concluded: “The allegations against the former officer were proven and the outcome was that had he still been serving he would have been dismissed.”

The officer - identified only as ‘Former Officer A’ - had been granted anonymity and the misconduct hearing was conducted in private “as it is deemed necessary and proportionate for the protection of the welfare witnesses in the case”.

He has a right of appeal to a Police Appeals Tribunal.

Norfolk police officers were the subject of 580 complaints last year, though the number is below the national average.