Several active and retired South Yorkshire Police officers and a pilot will face trial next year charged with misusing a police helicopter to film people having sex.

The four men were arrested as part of an internal investigation into reports a force helicopter had been used for inappropriate filming of people while they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.

Serving officers Matthew Lucas, 41, Lee Walls, 46, former officer Adrian Pogmore, 50, and police pilot Matthew Loosemore, 44, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court charged with committing misconduct in a public office.

Malcolm Reeves, 63, who was a pilot at South Yorkshire Police before retiring in 2013, was also charged in relation to the case but did not appear in court for the hearing on Tuesday.

The charges relate to four alleged incidents between 2009 and 2012 - one in August 2007, two on the same day on July 2008 and another in July 2012.

One charge alleges misconduct that was “namely to observe and record a naked person without her knowledge and consent".

Another alleges misconduct amounting to "misusing police resources for purposes that were not connected to your employment, namely to observe and record persons performing sexual acts".

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South Yorkshire Police confirmed Lucas and Walls were serving officers but had been suspended from duty.

The four men who appeared in court were granted bail and will appear for a further hearing on 14 July.

All five deny the charges against them.