Police constable sacked for sexually assaulting young girl

Farooq Ahmed, 38, is serving two years in prison

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A serving neighbourhood police officer who sexually assaulted a young girl has been jailed and sacked by Greater Manchester Police.

PC Farooq Ahmed, 38, was also convicted of one count of making an indecent image of a child.

Ahmed, who was based in GMP's Tameside district, committed the offences between 2016 and 2018.

The PC was suspended from his duties after being charged with the offences.

He was sentenced to two years in prison in January and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register.

Ahmed, who was also given a five year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, was formally dismissed by GMP on Thursday.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: "I'm appalled by this disgusting abuse of a young girl and I am pleased that justice has been served which was a result of a robust and thorough criminal investigation undertaken by detectives from GMP's Oldham CID.

"I expect our officers to uphold the highest standards of conduct with public safety being their main priority."

He added: "Ahmed fell well below these standards when he committed these unforgivable offences and his actions do not represent what I expect of an officer of the Greater Manchester Police."

Ahmed's sacking comes amid calls for reforms to police culture following the murder of Sarah Everard.

The 23-year-old London marketing executive was kidnapped, raped and killed by Wayne Couzens, who was a serving Metropolitan Police officer at the time.

The Met Police was accused of a number of failings in the case after it emerged that Couzens had a history of sexual deviance.

He drove around in his car naked in 2015 and was accused of indecently exposing himself at a McDonald's restaurant in south London just days before he went on to murder Ms Everard.

Dame Cressida Dick, the Met's chief, has announced an inquiry into the case and promised radical change within the force.

Campaigners say the probe lacks sufficient statutory powers to "get to the truth".