“IT’S just Wayne being Wayne,” was the phrase colleagues would use to explain away the deviant behaviour of Wayne Scott.

Today’s report into how a rapist police officer avoided detection for so long has once again prompted questions about the culture within Cleveland Police.

The force referred itself to police watchdog the IPCC, after it emerged that it was aware of some allegations about the sexual predator up to four years before he was convicted In December 2013 of multiple rapes.

Some of Scott’s victims made complaints to the force about his inappropriate sexual activities but very little was done until he was charged.

Preying on some of the most vulnerable members of the community, including victims of domestic violence and young people, the full extent of his offending only came to light after he was jailed.

The success of the criminal case against him was thanks to the bravery shown by his victims who came forward with complaints.

Only a minority of sex attacks are ever reported to police, and only a fraction of attackers are ever convicted. It is estimated that 80 per cent of victims do not report their attacks.

Police will treat rape and sexual offences as seriously as terrorist threats to Britain, the country’s most senior officer said recently.

But the investigation has revealed that Scott was able to get away with his predatory behaviour for so long as colleagues turned a blind eye as he bragged about his inappropriate sexual exploits.

For any police force this case would be a major embarrassment, but for Cleveland Police, which has been rocked by a succession of scandals, this further undermines its reputation within the community.

When you read the report, there is no getting away from the fact that it is a horrendous case,” said Deputy Chief Constable

Iain Spittal, who has issued an apology all those affected by Scott’s assaults and vowed the force has taken steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

The force now faces a huge challenge to rebuild its reputation and regain trust of the people it serves.