The Metropolitan Police admit they failed to spot a serial rapist officer's "pattern of abusive behaviour", despite nine incidents coming to police attention over two decades, including allegations of harassment and domestic violence.

David Carrick, who is from Stevenage and joined the Met Police in 2001, pleaded guilty earlier this month to 49 offences, including rape, sexual assault and falsely imprisoning women.

An investigation into Carrick, 47, began in October 2021 when a woman reported him to police for rape, and a further 12 women subsequently came forward. The case spans a 17-year-period, with offences dating from 2003 to 2020.

The Met Police now say Carrick had come to the attention of the Met and other forces on nine occasions between 2000 and 2021 - with allegations including harassment, assault, domestic violence, malicious communications and burglary - but he was never charged with a crime.

"Were these incidents to have occurred today, we are more confident they would have been identified as forming a pattern of behaviour requiring further investigation even in the event that individual allegations had been withdrawn," a spokesperson for the Met Police said.

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Carrick was vetted on joining the Met in 2001 and again in 2017. The Met Police spokesperson said: "On both occasions, his vetting was successful, but we know the vetting requirements were not as robust for either of these clearances as they are now.

"We are confident that someone applying to join the Met today with the same pre-employment history would not receive vetting clearance."

Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray, the Met’s lead for professionalism, said: “Carrick is a prolific, serial sex offender who preyed on women over a period of many years, abusing his position as a police officer and committing the most horrific, degrading crimes.

“He used the fact he was a police officer to control and coerce his victims. We know they felt unable to come forward sooner because he told them they would not be believed.

“We should have spotted his pattern of abusive behaviour and, because we didn’t, we missed opportunities to remove him from the organisation.

“We are truly sorry Carrick was able to continue to use his role as a police officer to prolong the suffering of his victims."

Carrick is due to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on February 6.