A disgraced former Bolton police officer has been jailed after beginning an "intimate" relationship with a woman he was called out to help.

Shamraze Arshad, 38, was among officers who attended reports of a reportedly suicidal 21-year-old woman on October 28, 2020.

After assisting her to hospital, Arshad submitted a care plan for the woman before he went off duty.

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Later that morning, he used his police mobile phone to find her number and began calling her – just hours after she was in hospital.

The woman first assumed this was part of his job – but after asking if he could attend her address on a number of occasions he asked if she would go on a date with him – a breach of his position.

After she refused, Arshad persisted and eventually an intimate relationship began.

By April/May, the relationship had ended. Arshad was arrested in July 2021, before being bailed – with strict conditions not to contact the woman in any way.

However, as soon as he left the police station he went to her house, but she wasn’t present. The following day he went back again and woke her up by banging on her window.

Scared, she hid in the bathroom before calling the police.

Arshad, of Ascott Close, Lostock, was sacked from Greater Manchester Police in January, following a trial in July 2023 which found him guilty of perverting the course of justice and data misuse, as part of the same case.

He has now been convicted by a jury of misconduct in a public office, following a retrial at Liverpool Crown Court.

Today, Friday, he has been sentenced to four years.

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Detective Chief Inspector Dave Jones, of Greater Manchester Police's Professional Standards Directorate, said: “I want to thank the courageous woman in this case for providing us with the evidence that was so important in ensuring that Arshad is rightly held accountable for the full extent of his crimes.

“He abused his position as a police officer to pursue a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman who he was supposed to protect in her time of need. This is an unforgivable breach of policing standards and it’s right he will never be trusted to wear a police uniform again.

“Arshad’s jail term is fully deserved. He is a disgrace to the police service and does not represent the thousands of professional, honest, hard-working police officers across Greater Manchester who continue to protect the public each and every day.

“As soon as we were legally able to, we sacked Arshad and, now that criminal proceedings have been concluded, we will invite the Deputy Mayor to strip him of his police pension.”

Andrew O’Gara, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West’s Complex Casework Unit added: “Not only did Shamraze Arshad abuse his position as a police officer by misusing the device entrusted to him, but he also went further and abused his position for his own sexual gratification.

“He targeted a vulnerable woman, who was in crisis and used his position to gain her trust and abused it in the worst way.

“The CPS worked hard with Greater Manchester Police to build a strong case that would show Arshad’s manipulative actions for the serious breach of trust they were.

“I would like to commend the victim for supporting the prosecution and hope she will be able to move forward knowing Arshad has been brought to justice.”

If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk.