Pc 'took prostitute to station'

Hart resigned from his post at GMP on Monday

A police officer has been fined for picking up a prostitute while he was on duty with Greater Manchester Police.

Pc Gary Hart, 34, picked up Jane Davies in Bolton's red light district and took her to Castle Street police station where she performed a sex act on him.

Oldham magistrates heard the father-of-two left without paying the woman the £20 they had agreed.

He admitted soliciting a woman from a vehicle for prostitution, and was fined £100, and ordered to pay £2,546 costs.

Hart resigned from his post at Greater Manchester Police on Monday.

You took advantage of and abused your position as a police officer District Judge Bridget Knight

District Judge Bridget Knight said: "I cannot think of anything more designed to bring shame upon your uniform and the police force.

"Because of these circumstances it makes your offence particularly serious as an offence of kerb-crawling because you took advantage of and abused your position as a police officer."

When he was questioned, Hart - who has two children, aged three and 10 months - denied any interaction with a prostitute and claimed he was gathering intelligence on drunken drivers.

Nick Clarke, prosecuting, told the court that between April and July last year Hart "operated a system where he approached working girls while in uniform and in his police vehicle".

Mr Clarke said: "He engaged in conversation, flirting, chatting them up and arranging to meet them after work.

"Under the guise of giving one of them a lift home, he engaged in sexual activity while driving the police car."

Hart offered to take Ms Davies home, but instead drove her around a housing estate.

Unmanned station

"Although full sexual intercourse was discussed...he changed his mind because it was daylight," Mr Clarke said.

It was on a different occasion that Hart approached Ms Davies in Bolton and agreed to pay her £20 to perform a sex act on him.

He took her to Castle Street police station, which was unmanned overnight.

He originally pleaded not guilty to the charge, but changed his plea to guilty at court on Monday.