A SENIOR police officer has defended a detective whose failings led to a rape case collapsing.

Detective Constable Nick Lane has been backed by Tim Madgwick, the Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire, after DC Lane was allowed to keep his job at the end of a seven day hearing into his discreditable conduct.

Mr Madgwick said the detective’s team was inundated with work, which put pressure on resources, and that had a bearing on DC Lane’s behaviour.

He said systems had been changed since and said DC Lane would be given support.

Mr Madgwick said: “One of the harsh realities of policing is that our workload isn’t entirely in our own control.

“We have to respond to the demand society creates, and at times that demand can be high, and the job can be difficult.

“Working in these circumstances, the actions of this particular officer clearly fell short of expectations, but it is important to remember that the vast majority of our officers do a thoroughly professional job, whatever the circumstances.”

The hearing had been told the officer failed to release key documents which contributed to the acquittal of a rape suspect and failed to follow up basic lines of enquiry.

The breaches go back to July 2014 and Mr Madgwick says much has changed in that time.

He said North Yorkshire Police has re-structured teams and ploughed millions of pounds into a wide range of resources.

York Press:

“We have, of course, taken note of the panel’s comments regarding the organisational situation that existed at the time under examination, which was several years ago,” he added.

“Since that time we have restructured our teams, and made several million pounds of investment in officers, resources and training, so our context is very different today.

“In accordance with the panel’s decision, DC Lane will remain at North Yorkshire Police under a final written warning. We will continue to provide the necessary support to ensure that this officer is able to carry out his duties fully and effectively.”