An ex-police officer accused of failing to act on a rape allegation is set to appeal against his dismissal.

PC Mark Smith, who was based in Loughton and Harlow, was dismissed in November last year over alleged failings at an incident in Harlow.

After he attended a “disturbance” on January 10 last year, a vulnerable woman said to Smith that she had been drugged and raped.

A police misconduct panel last November found he ignored the allegation and made an arrest for the less serious actual bodily harm (ABH).

This failure, the panel said, left a victim alone when she was vulnerable and “put at risk the expeditious gathering of forensic evidence”.

Although the situation was quickly dealt with by other officers, the panel said PC Smith breached standards of professional behaviour relating to honesty and integrity, duties and responsibilities, and discreditable conduct.

He was found to have committed gross misconduct and was dismissed without notice.

Smith is set to appeal against the findings and outcome of the misconduct panel.

The appeal will take place next Monday and Tuesday (July 4 and 5) at the Harlow Appeals Court.