A serving Metropolitan Police officer from Stevenage has been charged with rape over an alleged attack of a woman in St Albans, and is due in court today.

Police Constable David Carrick, 46, was arrested by Hertfordshire Constabulary on Saturday and suspended the same day by the Met Police. He is currently appearing via live video link at St Albans Magistrates' Court, having been charged yesterday. He remains in custody.

The offence is reported to have occurred on September 4 last year, when the officer was off-duty.

PC Carrick is based within the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command - the same unit as Wayne Couzens, who on Thursday was handed a whole-life sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard.

Malcolm McHaffie, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The CPS has authorised Hertfordshire Constabulary to charge serving Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick, 46, with one count of rape following an alleged attack on a woman on the night of September 4, 2020.

“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

The Met Police says a referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Commissioner Cressida Dick said: “I am deeply concerned to hear the news that an officer from the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command has been arrested and now charged with this serious offence. I fully recognise the public will be very concerned too.

“Criminal proceedings must now take their course, so I am unable to comment any further at this stage.”

The victim is being supported by specially trained officers.