An Avon and Somerset police officer has been sacked following an allegation of sexual misconduct. The revelation has been disclosed by new data published on Tuesday showing that there were 33 allegations against police officers in Avon and Somerset relating of violence against women and girls in a six month period.

National Police Chiefs’ Council  data shows there were 33 separate allegations made against Avon and Somerset officers from October 1 2021 to March 31 2022, with 20 relating to public complaints and 13 relating to conduct.

70 per cent of public complaints related to the use of force. In three instances it was found there was a case to answer. One resulted in a meeting with no further action and the other two are subject to reflective practice review processes.

There were six allegations of sexual assault and other sexual misconduct. Five of those allegations are still subject to a live investigation. One allegation has led to an officer being dismissed following a misconduct process, the force said in a statement on Tuesday.

Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said: “Tackling the significant issue of violence against women and girls continues to be a priority for us.

“We fully recognise if we are to have legitimacy in dealing with VAWG in our communities, we must stamp it out from within and the publication of this data today is one example of how we are working to root our those who betray our values and damage the public’s trust and confidence in the service we provide.

“We are committed to being open and transparent about the number of complaints and conduct matters relating to our officers, however, it’s important to note the data released today is intended to provide a benchmark that will enable us to assess our performance and progress over time. It does not cover the number of complaints or conduct matters we are currently dealing with.”