A police officer has been served a final written warning after exposing himself in a Reading nightclub.

PC Jake Croton, from Thames Valley Police, admitted the public exposure after being egged on by colleagues during a night out at the now-defunct Revolution bar.

The incident occurred on February 10 last year, and was the subject of a disciplinary hearing.

Panellists also heard an allegation that PC Croton had displayed inappropriate conduct towards another colleague on the same occasion - at one point kissing her on the neck or cheek area.

The officer admitted to both allegations, which occurred when he was heavily intoxicated - to the point where he could not even remember the events.

The final report on PC Croton's conduct acknowledged that the exposure in a public venue amounted to a criminal offence - 'albeit a minor one'.

Panellists stated: "In assessing seriousness, we determined that PC Croton's conduct resulted from the consumption of an excessive amount of alcohol.

"Witnesses all say he was drunk and that is apparent from the CCTV.

"He comments upon his using prescribed medication, his lack of food and his anxiety at the time as to possible explanations of his level of drunkenness but these are all matters within his knowledge, or should have been, and thus he cannot, in our view, avail himself of such matters as somehow explaining his drunkenness."

The report adds: "We found that in exposing himself in the nightclub he had in essence committed a criminal offence albeit a minor one.

"We fully accept that his drunkenness removed his inhibitions to do this and that he was actively encouraged by two other officers to do this.

"Whilst their conduct should be considered by others, it, again, does not excuse PC Croton. Committing such an act to 'try and fit in' and seek peer approval is no excuse."

The other incident at the heart of the inquiry - involving PC Croton's behaviour towards a female officer - was ruled to be "not as serious" as panellists initially assumed.

The other officer initially put PC Croton's conduct down to 'over familiarity'. Only later did she consider whether his behaviour may have 'exceeded the bounds of propriety'.

The panel found that PC Croton's actions amounted to gross misconduct, serious enough to merit dismissal.

But they stopped short of this, instead handing the officer a final written warning for five years.

Justifying this decision, the panellists noted that PC Croton had self-reported his own behaviour, and shown significant remorse. Moreover, he had set out to control his own alcohol consumption.