A Thames Valley Police officer has resigned after being charged with neglecting his duty.

The officer, who has not been named, had been due to appear before Chief Constable Charles Pollard but resigned before the hearing took place. He did not work in the Oxford area.

Another officer was admonished by his area commander and six others were advised by their area commanders after failing to adhere to area policy.

The disciplinary action came to light in a report detailing the findings of the Thames Valley Police Authority's Complaints Committee.

IDuring a meeting on Wednesday at police headquarters in Kidlington it was revealed that 423 complaints had been recorded against officers, between January 1 and August 31. This is compared to a total of 502 last year.

Complaints recorded so far include one of sexual assault, three of racially discriminatory behaviour and two of corrupt practice. Once they have been recorded, the complaints are referred to the Police Complaints Authority to see whether there are grounds for them to be substantiated.

Between May 1 and June 30 this year, 170 letters of appreciation were received from members of the public about 276 officers.

Since the beginning of the year, the force has made 32,389 arrests.

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