Policewoman in sex and drugs ring jailed

WPC Rebecca Swanston, 28, sabotaged her force’s investigations and stopped them catching the men “heavily involved” in class A drug supply, Winchester Crown Court heard.

The Hampshire officer even allowed one dealer to leave a “massive bag” of crack cocaine and heroin on a table in her house.

She was warned about her relationships with criminals after a photograph of her with one was spotted on a website.

Hampshire Constabulary launched an anti-corruption probe into her behaviour and installed a listening device at her home in Southampton.

It recorded her discussing police operations with the criminals – as well as having sex with some of them.

Swanston, who was based at Southampton central police station, was arrested during a raid on her house on October 18 last year.

Jailing her yesterday, Judge Jane Miller, QC, said: “You embarked on a course of self-destructive behaviour, starting relationships with not just one man known to be a criminal but four different men.

“Once in these relationships, you started on a course of criminal behaviour yourself.

“Your offences have damaged police operations.”

Detective Superintendent Colin Smith, head of Hampshire Constabulary’s professional standards department, said: “Swanston’s corrupt behaviour and reckless associations with criminals went utterly against the values of honesty and integrity required of her as a police officer.”