Two female police officers have been disciplined for refusing to arrest a woman’s alleged attacker minutes after she was sexually assaulted on a bus in Kentish Town.

The Camden officers told the victim that she would need to report the crime at a local police station, despite boarding the victim’s no 134 bus seconds after the assault took place in December last year

They refused to arrest the alleged assailant, even after the victim pointed out the man and said she had a witness.

She was told that she should walk on foot to Kentish Town police station at about 1.30am.

The two officers were given final written warnings at a misconduct hearing on Monday over the incident.

Camden’s borough commander Richard Tucker said: “I was disappointed that these officers choose to behave in such a way which was well below the standard I expect.

“They let down the victim, which has had the knock on effect of damaging the reputation of the Police in London.

“Both officers have received a final written warning which is the most severe sanction available to the local panel.”

It was not until three months after the assault that police released a CCTV image of a man they wanted for questioning in connection with the incident.

But no-one came forward and the inquiry was closed. No-one was arrested.

The hearing ruled that the officers breached the police’s standards of professional behaviour for duties and responsibilities.