West Yorkshire Police PC appears in court on rape charge

A West Yorkshire Police officer has appeared in court charged with raping a woman while off duty.

PC Jo Lavender, 42, is currently suspended from duty after the force’s professional standards team began an investigation.

The alleged incident happened in Castleford, where PC Lavender lives, on 21 January.Speaking only to confirm his name and address, he indicated he would deny the charge of raping a woman aged over 16 when he appeared at Bradford Magistrates' Court on Friday.

He was given conditional bail and will next appear before Bradford Crown Court on 1 November.