Two officers who were based at Braintree have been dismissed from Essex Police for gross misconduct.

Following a four-day hearing before a panel chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Maurice Mason, both officers were found to have breached standards of behaviour in relation to honesty and integrity, discreditable conduct and duties and responsibilities.

Both officers were found to have failed in their duties when they attended a domestic abuse incident in August 2014.

The panel accepted that both officers had failed to fully investigate an allegation of assault and subsequently, false information was recorded on the matter.

One of the officers was found to have been in breach of standards for failing to apply for a business interest when he bought and sold a number of car parts using an on-line auction site.

The panel also agreed that he had abused his position by using information obtained while on duty to buy a vehicle and sell it at an apparent profit and then recorded false information on the vehicle registration document.

Both officers were dismissed without notice when the panel announced their decisions yesterday.

ACC Mason said: "Both officers have been found to have lacked honesty and integrity which is a fundamental value that police officers need to portray in order to maintain public confidence in Essex Police.

"Essex Police has strived for a number of years to improve our service to victims of domestic abuse and it will not tolerate officers who fail to meet the standard of service to vulnerable victims.

"The panel found that both officers failed to investigate an allegation of domestic abuse therefore letting down a vulnerable victim. Consequently the panel was in agreement that both officers were to be dismissed without notice.”

Essex Police has declined to name the officers involved.