A police officer later exposed as a violent serial rapist passed vetting checks to join his force despite two existing reports of criminal behaviour against women.

Alan Greer was investigated by police in 2002 and 2005 for making inappropriate phone calls to women and in one case was given a formal police caution.

But he was given a job at Strathclyde Police – now Police Scotland – in 2009 despite vetting staff knowing about his history.

Police Scotland had claimed there were no 'missed opportunities' to expose Greer's offending sooner but has now said its comments related only to the officer's police career, not his vetting.

Greer killed himself in May days after a police raid on his home – he had been an officer for 17 years.

He committed a series of attempted murders or serious sexual assaults, including raping a vulnerable woman just hours after meeting her on duty.

And he violently assaulted many of the hundreds of sex workers he had contact with during his police career while also taking inappropriate photos of female colleagues while working in safety training.

Police Scotland has identified 15 of Greer's victims though the true number is feared to be much higher.

Last month Lynn Ratcliff, assistant chief constable, said vetting was 'markedly different' compared to when Greer undertook the process and added he would not have passed current checks.

Ms Ratcliff said officers were now put through annual integrity testing and routine re-vetting.

A Strathclyde Police handbook from 2006, which details its standard operating procedures, said the force 'should not recruit people with cautions or convictions, which may call into question the integrity of the applicant or the force'.

Craig Naylor, who led a review into Police Scotland's vetting processes in 2023 as chief inspector for HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, said Greer should never have been allowed into the police.

'When I've run vetting in the past, he would not have got in,' he said.

Mr Naylor also said he believed there had been missed opportunities by Police Scotland to stop Greer joining the force.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: 'We have been completely open and transparent around information which can be shared in relation to the ongoing investigation into Alan Greer.

'During an interview with the BBC on 20 July 2026 we provided answers to questions relating to Alan Greer's offending during the course of his policing career, which spanned almost 17 years.

'The investigation has not established any information during his career which could have resulted in his criminal behaviour being identified at an earlier stage.

'The recruitment and vetting process carried out by Strathclyde Police prior to Alan Greer joining in 2009 will form part of an independent and external review by the National Police Chiefs' Council.

'It would therefore be inappropriate to comment further at this time.'

Mr Naylor's 2023 inquiry found significant gaps in Police Scotland's vetting processes, including a failure to re-vet staff after the Scottish forces merged in 2013.

Greer was one of around 8,800 police officers and staff – around a third of the total workforce – who had still not been re-vetted.