A police officer picked up four prostitutes and indecently assaulted them in the back of his van during an evening patrol of a North-East town centre, a court heard.

Detective Constable Darren Dolan, 33, of Cleveland Police, who was a PC at the time, carried out "personal searches" of the women, Hull Crown Court was told.

He was said to have touched the breasts of one of them, in the back of his marked Ford Transit van, during his shift in Middlesbrough on January 21, last year.

John Aitkin, prosecuting, said that on each occasion Det Con Dolan told the women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, that he was searching them for weapons as part of a police crackdown after the murder of a prostitute. But the real reason for the searches was his own sexual gratification, said Mr Aitkin.

He said that during the shift, which began at 2pm and ended at 10pm, Det Con Dolan recorded four stop and searches.

Each one was noted down as searching only their outer clothing, but in each case Det Con Dolan insisted the women lift up their tops and expose their underwear, it was alleged.

Mr Aitkin said there was no reason for him to be carrying out stop and searches during his patrol. He said that police would never condone a lone male officer conducting personal searches on females in the back of a van.

The court heard that when one of the women threatened to report him, Det Con Dolan replied: "Who do you think they will believe, a daft prostitute, smack head, or me?"

She was picked up by him and driven to Redcar Street, a deserted business area of the town.

Mr Aitkin told the court that Det Con Dolan climbed into the rear, caged area of the van with her and asked her to lift up her jumper.

When she refused, he grabbed her by the throat and began pulling her jumper upwards.

Det Con Dolan, who denies the charges, said in a police interview that he had not assaulted anyone that night and would never get into the back of a van with anyone, as a matter of personal safety.

The jury was shown security television footage of his van being driven through the red light district of Middlesbrough.

The case continues.