Hertfordshire police officers have been found guilty of 16 cases of computer misuse in the last two years, raising fears around privacy and security standards in the police force.

Data obtained under a freedom of information request by think tank Parliament Street found that 23 UK police forces have launched disciplinary action against 237 serving officers and staff members in the last two years.

These include six resignations and 11 sackings for disclosing confidential information.

Of the 16 discipliniary cases in Hertfordshire, two incidents involved staff taking a photograph of a police IT system screen and sharing it on social media.

A Herts police spokesperson said: "The force expects the highest standards of professional behaviour from all of its officers and staff.

"Individuals who misuse the systems can expect to face disciplinary action."

Sheila Flavell, chief operating officer at FDM Group said: "Instilling the highest standards of IT best practice in serving officers and operational staff is critical for maintaining the integrity our police forces. All too often these incidents arise due to a lack of training or understanding about the need for correctly handling sensitive information.

"With cyber crime on the rise, it's vital that those tasked with keeping us safe are proficient with technology and acutely aware of the importance of data protection rules."