A former Met Police officer who tricked rail staff into travelling for free has been found guilty of gross misconduct.

PC Benjamin Cassar travelled from Maidstone East to Bromley South seven times in April last year.

Each time Cassar showed his police warrant card to staff to pass through barriers at Bromley South free of charge, despite not being authorised to do so.

In September, he was convicted of seven counts of travelling on a railway without paying his fare.

He was ordered to pay £2,106.60 in fines and costs.

Cassar was then subject to Met Police misconduct proceedings, but resigned before his hearing.

On Monday, a hearing in his absence found Cassar had breached the Met's standards of professional behaviour in respect of 'discreditable conduct'.

Had the former Roads and Transport Policing Command officer still been serving, he would have been dismissed without notice.

Cassar's name will be placed on the Police Barred List preventing future employment elsewhere in policing.