A former inspector has been accused of misconduct and sexual offences, alleged to have taken place at police stations over an eight-year period.

Gerard Hutchings, from Ashurst in Hampshire, is charged with 29 offences, including indecent assaults, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and misconduct in a public office.

The 64-year-old is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on 5 December.

Hampshire Police said the alleged offences relate to 18 complainants, aged between 17 and 31 at the time.

The alleged offences took place between 1999 and 2007 in various police stations across the Hampshire force area, where Mr Hutchings worked as an inspector, according to the force.

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He left in 2007 and an investigation into his alleged offending started in 2021.

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