A police officer who was working in a child abuse investigation unit has been jailed after he admitted a string of underage sex offences.

Detective Constable Christopher Maitland, 40, was part of the Metropolitan Police's sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command when he was arrested late last year.

He was sentenced to five years and four months behind bars at London's Southwark Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of sexually touching a child under the age of 13 in 2005.

He also admitted seven counts of making an indecent image of a child, and five counts of taking an indecent image of a child.

He was off-duty at the time of the offences.

Maitland was originally detained on 22 November 2015 on suspicion of possession and distribution of indecent images of children.

He was taken into custody and was later bailed.

On 15 March this year he was arrested on suspicion of sexual touching and later charged.