Kent’s crime commissioner has expressed frustration that police officers who have committed serious sexual offences cannot have their pension taken away.

Under the guidance on what is known as pension forfeiture, officers can be stripped of part of their pension only where the offence is related to their work.

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott wants the government guidance to be changed to extend powers to officers convicted of serious sexual offences, as it would help public confidence.

In a report presented to the Kent and Medway Crime Panel, members were told the commissioner thinks the legislation should be strengthened.

Responding to questions from panel members, Mr Scott said he believed that pension forfeiture should apply to any serious criminality, regardless of whether it was connected to their job.

He said: “One of the reasons why I am lobbying the minister around this is because I think that the bar for pension forfeiture is too complicated and it is too high.

"It should be considered for any criminality committed by police.”

Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox said the guidance should apply to cases where there was no criminality but inappropriate conduct which brought the force into disrepute.

“Some of these behaviours, which have no place at all in public life, do not lead to a conviction - but justice needs to be done and it needs to be speedy,” he said.

Mr Scott said the recent report by Baroness Casey into the Met Police had also referred to the need for strengthening the forfeiture rules and giving chief constables greater powers. He said the process of seeking pension forfeiture could take several months.

He said the culture of forces needed to change.

“I hope that we can change the emphasis so that the people who are committing the criminality are the ones who are being held to account not the people who are calling it out," he added.

The report presented to the Kent and Medway Crime Panel revealed there had been cases in which Kent Police officers had been convicted of extremely serious sexual offences but their pension could not be taken away, as it was not connected to their service.

“Given the nature of the offending and the impact on public confidence, it is considered by the Office of the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner that forfeiture should be allowed in these circumstances,” it adds.

The report revealed that over the last 12 years, the force had had approval for forfeiture in five cases. Six cases were not proceeded with.

The recent revelation that the killer Wayne Couzens could be entitled to part of his police pension drew widespread criticism with the Prime Minister condemning it.