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A police officer who bought pornography at the family home of a dead child while he waited for an undertaker to arrive has been dismissed by the Met.

PC Avi Maharaj downloaded four pornographic films as he guarded the house on 11 February 2018 while the family was "being consoled elsewhere".

Last week, the 44-year-old, of Hayes, was jailed for a year after admitting fraud by false representation.

He was dismissed without notice after being found guilty of gross misconduct.

Guessed account password

"We expect the highest standards of professional behaviour from all of our officers and staff and the actions of PC Maharaj fell far below that level," Det Ch Supt Peter Holdcroft said.

The PC was waiting for an undertaker to take away the body of the family's 14-year-old son, who had taken his own life, when he guessed the password to the household's Virgin Media account and downloaded pornography worth £25.96.

He then falsified his attendance logs, claiming he had left the house in Littleton Street, Earlsfield, almost two hours earlier, to try to cover his actions, and later denied the allegations when questioned by fellow officers.

During his sentencing, Southwark Crown Court was told the family had initially thought their son had downloaded the clips before realising Maharaj was responsible.

Edmund Gritt, who represented Maharaj in court, said the defendant "expressed his wholly ashamed apologies to the family".