A POLICE officer who kept his job after a disciplinary hearing found him guilty of lewd conduct towards shop girls on his beat, has been suspended following a new allegation that he molested a woman in the back of a police van.

Ten weeks ago, Chief Constable of Cleveland Barry Shaw allowed PC Andrew Shearer to stay in the force despite finding him guilty at a disciplinary hearing.

Yesterday, it emerged that Shearer has been suspended from duty following a new complaint from a 20-year-old woman.

The woman alleges PC Shearer ordered her into the back of a police van in the early hours of last Wednesday morning and indecently assaulted her.

The force's complaints and discipline branch has begun an investigation and he was suspended from duty on Friday.

In June, PC Shearer was found guilty at a disciplinary hearing of 11 counts of discreditable conduct ranging from inappropriate language to indecent assault.

On patrol in Redcar, he used his position to chat up assistants.

When his advances were rebuffed, he turned to gross sexual innuendo and alleged indecent assault.

In one store, management had brought in an instruction that PC Shearer should not be left alone with female staff.

At the hearing, PC Shearer was fined £150 for four offences, had a reduction in pay for one, and was reprimanded on each of the other six charges.

He was also transferred from Redcar to the town beat in Middlesbrough, where some officers refused to work with him.

Yesterday, the force confirmed that PC Shearer has been suspended from duty following a fresh complaint of indecent assault.

Chief Superintendent Dave Lamb said: "I can confirm that a police officer has been suspended from duty following an allegation of indecent assault."

PC Shearer, 28, a divorced father who lives in Stockton, was unavailable for comment, as was the Cleveland Police Federation, which represents him.