HUNDREDS of police officers across England and Wales have been accused of abusing their positions to sexually exploit victims and suspects, a damning report revealed yesterday.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) described the findings as the worst form of corruption and condemned forces for not tackling the issue.

The watchdog’s initial findings identified more than 400 claims of abuse of authority for sexual gain over just two years and warned that: “It is at least possible, probably likely, that the problem is more serious than the numbers that have been reported back to us.”