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A police officer has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman while he was on duty.

Scotland Yard said the policeman, who is in his 30s, had been bailed after being taken to a police station in South London after the alleged incident.

He has been suspended pending an investigation by the Directorate of Professional Standards.

A Met Police spokesman said: 'A police constable was arrested on Saturday 19 September on suspicion of raping a woman whilst on duty.

'He was taken to a south London police station and has been bailed to return in November pending further inquiries by officers from the metropolitan Police's directorate of professional standards.'

The alleged rape took place after the woman called 999 because of a drunken row with her boyfriend, it was reported.

She was left alone in her flat in Bromley, south east London, with the officer after his colleagues arrested her boyfriend for allegedly assaulted her, according to The Sun.

He allegedly encouraged her to drink half a bottle of whisky before forcing her to perform a sex act.

She was said to be distraught after the experience and was taken to a rape counselling suite for examination.

The incident comes as the Independent Police complaints commission reports a 30 per cent rise in the number of complaints of sex assaults by police in the UK.

There were 114 complaints of sex attacks last year, 32 in the Met.

Ssenior IPCC sources say there is concern at the number of officers who are taking advantage of women in vulnerable positions.

They believe the figures show that more women are prepared to make complaints rather than reflecting an increase in the numbers.

One source said: 'It shows there was always a problem but the extent is now only becoming clear.

'The numbers are comparatively low but this is police officers abusing their position of trust with people who are vulnerable.'

The number of complaints against the police in london rose by 15 per cent last year.

Most of the claims related to officers being rude or late, the IPCC said. Complaints against Met officers went up by 795 to 6,144.

The increase in London exceeded a national eight per cent rise. Members of the public made 31,259 claims against forces in England and Wales in 2008/09.

One in every four was for 'neglect of duty' - officers being slow or ineffective.

Ccomplaints against three other forces in the Sout -East also shot up. In Kent there was a 24 per cent rise, Surrey 25 per cent and in Essex a 34 per cent rise.

Source; www.dailymail.co.uk