Officers disciplined after botched rape inquiry

Scotland Yard's record for investigating sex crimes suffered another blow yesterday when four officers were disciplined for a catalogue of police blunders after the rape of a 15-year-old girl.

The report comes after the revelation last week that a London cab driver may be linked to hundreds of sex attacks and was able to continue his reign of terror after a botched inquiry in 2007. The Metropolitan Police's specialist sex crime units were severely criticised after the conviction of John Worboys.

Yesterday, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said the flawed inquiry into the alleged rape of the 15-year-old was caused by a string of failures that emerged at the trial of a man who was cleared of the attack.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said he was "deeply concerned" about failings exposed by Worboys' trial. The case is being examined by the IPCC after it emerged that officers arrested Worboys after a complaint by a 19-year-old student.