A Clacton police officer has been charged with computer misuse offences and is due to appear in court next week.

Police Constable Scott Gardner-McLean, 21, was charged with an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 on December 9, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The IOPC referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service following the conclusion of the investigation between October 2019 and April 2019.

Gardner-McLean is accused of using the police computer system to access records he had no legitimate policing purpose for doing so.

He is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates Court on Tuesday, January 26.