A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been charged with a string of child sex offences.

PC Hussain Chehab, who worked in the north area basic command unit (BCU) covering Haringey and Enfield, was arrested in July last year and has been suspended from duty, the force said.

He was due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday afternoon (September 13) charged with four counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15; five counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child; as well as one count each of taking indecent images of children; engaging in sexual communication with a child; distributing indecent images of a child, and encouraging or assisting in the distribution of indecent images of children.

The offences are said to have occurred between 2019 and 2021, according to Scotland Yard.

DCS Caroline Haines, in charge of policing for the north area command unit, said: “We recognise that this news will cause concern within the community and we have fully engaged with our local partners throughout this investigation.

"We would encourage anyone who has concerns about the actions of any of our officers to report them to us immediately.”