A POLICEMAN forced to quit along with a colleague over a sex romp with a sixth form schoolgirl in the back of a police van is to appeal against the decision.

PC Michael Hendy and PC Marc Watson had to resign following a six-month police inquiry into a New Year's Eve sex session with a 17-year-old girl while they were on duty.

The two Barnard Castle officers were found guilty after a hearing on Wednesday, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Ron Hogg, at Durham Police headquarters.

Yesterday, PC Hendy's father, Philip, from Darlington, said his son would be appealing against the hearing decision.

He said: "At this time there is an appeal being lodged and Michael obviously would not be in a position to make any comment until that appeal has gone through."

Neither of the officers involved were available for comment yesterday.

The police launched their inquiry in March after allegations about a late night sex romp near a sewage works involving two officers and three women surfaced on an Internet website.

A spokesman for Durham Police said yesterday that the inquiry had only ever involved one female and two police constables, who are both in their mid-twenties.

While the inquiry was carried out, the two officers were transferred to Bishop Auckland and Crook police stations.

The teenager, who is now 18 and lives in Middleton-in-Teesdale, yesterday refused to discuss the incident. She said: "I just don't want to talk about it."

Durham Police Federation chairman Sergeant Terry Corrigan, who represented the two officers at the hearing, said: "The officers had a full and fair hearing. They now have 14 days to lodge an appeal against the decision of the misconduct hearing."

* The Northern Echo has decided not to print the name of the teenager involved.