A Metropolitan Police officer will appear virtually at Hatfield Remand Court on Monday, 4 October.

PC David Carrick, 46, who is based within the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, was charged by Hertfordshire Constabulary on 3 October with rape. The officer was off-duty in Hertfordshire at the time.

He was arrested on 2 October by Hertfordshire Constabulary and suspended the same day by the Metropolitan Police. We await the outcome of criminal proceedings.

A referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Commissioner Cressida Dick said: “I am deeply concerned to hear the news today that an officer from the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command has been arrested and now charged with this serious offence. I fully recognise the public will be very concerned too.”

“Criminal proceedings must now take their course so I am unable to comment any further at this stage.”