A RAPIST police officer’s ghastly sexual behaviour was allowed to “flourish” throughout his career, a damning report has said.

Former Cleveland constable Wayne Scott was jailed for 19 years in 2013 after he was convicted of the rape and the attempted rape of a woman, having already admitted raping a different woman seven times over a number of years.

He also confessed to two common assaults, one sexual assault and two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual touching.

The Cleveland force has been criticised for “a prevailing ­culture of indifference towards Mr Scott’s behaviour and an unwillingness to challenge or report his actions” while a number of colleagues were indifferent to his behaviour, the report said, with some putting it down to “Wayne being Wayne.”

The damning assessment comes in a report by the force’s Detective Chief Superintendent Peter McPhillips, prepared under the supervision of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

It adds that colleagues, a number of whom were victims, were too intimidated to challenge Mr Scott, who worked in Hartlepool and Stockton, or inform senior officers.

There were a number of “red flags,” including Mr Scott talking about sexual fantasies in front of colleagues, the report said, and these should have identified him as “an individual of concern” who needed to be tracked.

Some of his offending may have been prevented if this had happened, the report said.

“Staff have a responsibility to challenge inappropriate behaviour and to raise their concerns with supervision,” it added.

The report recommended that all staff on the force be briefed about the case and said vital lessons should be learnt.