Kate Buesing, 36, used a force computer system to access secret records before passing on information

A crooked WPC who accessed confidential police records to help a friend's brother with his court case has been sacked.

Kate Buesing, 36, used a force computer system to access secret records before passing on information to her best friend Samantha Cope.

Buesing, of Evesham, Worcestershire - who served with West Mercia Police for 14 years - then provided details to Samantha's brother James about an assault complaint his wife made against him in October 2014.

She was convicted in August of two charges of obtaining personal data and disclosing the data to another person.

The disgraced officer was ordered to pay £500 for each offence at Warwick Crown Court.

She has now been axed by the force following a Special Case Fast Track Hearing, conducted by Chief Constable Anthony Bangham on Wednesday.

The hearing found that she breached the standards of professional behaviour, in particular those relating to 'confidentiality, orders and instructions and discreditable conduct.'

Buesing, of Evesham, Worcestershire, was previously convicted of two charges of obtaining personal data and disclosing the data to another person

Superintendent Helena Bennett, head of professional standards for West Mercia Police, said: 'The misconduct hearing found that the behaviour of PC Buesing fell below the standards we expect from our officers and staff and amounted to gross misconduct and it is for this reason she was dismissed without notice.'

Sentencing her at the time Judge Stephen Eyre QC told Buesing she had betrayed the trust of the public.

He added: 'The public give information, sensitive personal information, to the police service which is kept in trust.

'You deliberately, foolishly, to help a friend, breached that trust

'You looked at the computer system simply to help out a friend, knowing you were giving her information to assist her brother in a family matter which was nothing to do with you.

'It was a serious dereliction of duty.'

The disgraced officer was ordered to pay £500 for each offence at Warwick Crown Court on August 31

Andrew Wallace, prosecuting, told the court Samantha Cope's brother James and his wife Jodie were going through divorce proceedings and a related family court matter in October 2014.

On October 6 Jodie reported to other police officers that she had been assaulted a couple of years earlier by James throwing a glass at her, which hit her in the face.

Mr Cope wanted to know the reason for police attending the house after his wife told him it was just to do with shed break-ins.

Mr Wallace said: 'James Cope was not satisfied with what Jodie told him.

'He got his sister to get her friend to do some digging around for him.'

Richard Gibbs, defending, said: 'As a serving police officer, there will be obvious consequences and repercussions.'

Buesing will have the opportunity to appeal the verdict of the police misconduct hearing.