A senior London police officer who was convicted of possessing an indecent video of a child has been sacked without notice.

Superintendent Robyn Williams was dismissed in a fast-track hearing - even though she said she hadn't watched the video.

Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball, chairing the hearing, said: "It is unacceptable for police officers enforcing the law to break the law themselves."

She added: “Members of the public would not have faith that Superintendent Williams would protect them or have faith in the police.

"Nothing less than dismissal would be satisfactory in this case.”

Ms Williiams was found guilty of possessing an indecent image of a child in November last year, after she was included in a WhatsApp group in which her sister posted a video of a child engaging in a sexual act with a man.

She was sentenced to 200 hours' community service and made to sign the sex offenders' register.

The superintendent claimed she hadn't seen the video and didn't even know it was on her phone.

But Ms Ball said that the fact that she didn't report the video was "very grave" and showed "lack of truthfulness and judgement."

The assistant commissioner added that not reporting the video could have caused the child to be the victim of further harm.

Ms Williams had been a police officer for 36 years. She had received honours from the Queen for her work in the 2011 London riots and with victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

After Williams' conviction former Director of Public Prosecutions Lord Macdonald of River Glaven called her an "exemplary officer" and led calls from other senior figures in the police for her to keep her job.

Additional reporting by PA.