Convicted criminal joined police

A criminal with a string of convictions has been serving as a police officer in London's police force for three years, it emerged today.

The constable, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was suspended from his Metropolitan Police post pending an investigation.

Senior officers were understood to be furious at vetting failures which allowed the man to become a police officer, the Evening Standard newspaper reported.

The 34-year-old was convicted in Northern Ireland between 1985 and 1990 for offences of burglary, assault and car crime.

After successfully applying to the Met in 2001 he became a beat bobby and his duties have included patrolling the streets of the capital's exclusive Belgravia area.

Met sources said he was appointed before the force had a central vetting unit and they had asked the Police Service of Northern Ireland to carry out a background check when he applied.

The man had not previously served in the PSNI but because he was from Northern Ireland the PSNI were asked to check details including whether he had a criminal record.

"He came up clean but it turns out he was a proper criminal," a source said. "We have to get to the bottom of how this was allowed to happen."

The man is understood to have admitted his assault conviction in his application but it was considered so minor that he was allowed in. At the time the Met was desperately trying to boost its ranks and applicants with very minor convictions were accepted.

The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards began looking into the officer's background after a tip-off and moved to suspend him from duty today.