Sex crime: Yard attacked over failures in serial offender probe, with officers later promoted to top jobs

Scotland Yard failed to hold gross misconduct proceedings against three officers accused of failings in the investigation into serial sex offender Kirk Reid, it emerged today.

Deputy chairwoman of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) Deborah Glass said it was “enormously frustrating” that action had not been taken.

The police watchdog had recommended gross misconduct hearings should take place involving the three officers but two have since been promoted.

Ms Glass said: “They need to demonstrate to the people of London that they are taking this seriously and they are holding officers to account.”

She wrote to the Metropolitan Police in June 2010 to complain about “the unhappy litany of delay and prevarication” in taking action, but received no reply.

This came as the IPCC today published a report from its ninth investigation into the Met's handling of sex crimes.

In relation to the Reid case, the IPCC recommended that a superintendent and two inspectors should face gross misconduct proceedings.

In fact, the superintendent, who is now a Chief Superintendent, was given "words of advice", an internal management procedure.

The detective chief inspector, who is now a superintendent, was given a written warning, as was the detective inspector, who remains at the same rank.

Football coach Reid was found guilty of stalking and preying on 25 women over 12 years in the Balham, Clapham and Tooting areas of south west London.

It emerged during his trial that police did not arrest him until four years after he was first named as a suspect and a separate IPCC inquiry was carried out into apparent blunders and failings.

PA