1 August 2012 Last updated at 05:04 ET

Humberside Police investigated over sex assault claim

Humberside Police is to be investigated over the way it handled allegations of sexual assault by a police community support officer (PCSO).

In January, a woman claimed that the on-duty officer engaged in a sex act when he visited her home.

Humberside Police arrested the man on suspicion of sexual assault, but charges were dropped and the force said it was satisfied with decisions made.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is now investigating.

The woman told the IPCC her claims had not been investigated properly and she had not been informed formally of the outcome, the watchdog said.

'Real concerns'

Following the arrest, the PCSO resigned in February and as a consequence, no disciplinary proceedings followed. It was concluded there was insufficient evidence in the case.

IPCC Commissioner Nicholas Long said: "A woman has real concerns about how she was dealt with and how the investigation was conducted.

"I believe it is in the public interest for the IPCC to independently investigate the handling of this case so we can reassure ourselves and the public that either the police are taking such allegations seriously and investigating thoroughly or that lessons can be learned to ensure that does happen in future."

Humberside Police said it remained satisfied with the decisions made following the allegations made against the PCSO.

The force added: "Humberside Police will now take time to study the outcome of the IPCC review very carefully, as soon as it is made available.

"If there are any issues which have been identified, Humberside Police will respond to them accordingly and ensure any relevant lessons are learned."