PROSECUTORS say it is not in the public interest to charge an officer who was arrested on suspicion of stealing drugs from Brighton Police Station.

The male officer was arrested on April 4 last year for possession of a Class C drug and theft.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed the officer had been arrested but decided it was not in the public interest to proceed.

Sussex Police said the officer remains suspended from duty while a misconduct investigation into several allegations continues.

National police regulations provide for full pay under suspension.

A CPS spokesman said: “The CPS assesses every case it receives in exactly the same way, carefully considering first whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed with the case and then whether it is in the public interest to proceed, as set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

“Having robustly applied the Code and having considered the many different factors in this case, we were unable to authorise charges on public interest grounds.”

A Sussex Police spokeswoman added: "After carefully reviewing the case and considering many factors, the CPS did not authorise charges, but were aware that internal misconduct investigations were ongoing.

"The officer from Brighton remains suspended from duty while the misconduct investigation into a number of allegations is ongoing."