Prosecutors have come under fire after dropping a case against a police inspector facing allegations he had sex with women he met while on duty.

Brighton-based Sussex Police officer Tony Lumb was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in March last year and was suspended from the force.

The police watchdog investigated and found evidence to suggest a criminal offence may have been committed.

Lumb faced criminal charges after the case was referred to the CPS in November.

The former elected member of the local Police Federation inspector's branch board was questioned over allegations he had improper sexual relations with women in the course of his duties. He was released on bail after being interviewed under caution.

But after nearly a year of discussions, the CPS decided to take no further action as there was insufficient evidence to justify a prosecution, emails seen by Press Association revealed.

Lumb could still face disciplinary proceedings.

One of the complainants, Nicola Brookes, branded the decision "shocking" and is calling for it to be reviewed.

The 52-year-old, who lives in Brighton and has Crohn's disease, said the amount of time it took for the CPS to make the decision was "ridiculous" and she feared for the safety of other potential victims who report allegations of crime to police.

She added: "I feel myself and the other women who reported Tony Lumb have been let down, treated disrespectfully and appallingly by the CPS."

Ms Brookes, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she was made to feel like a "deformed piece of meat" and has no "trust, faith or confidence" in the system.

The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) also found Lumb had a case to answer for gross misconduct.

A spokesman said: "The independent investigation into allegations a Sussex Police inspector engaged in improper relationships with women in the course of his duties concluded in October 2017.

"A file of evidence in relation to the actions of the officer was then referred to the Crown Prosecution Service.

"We are aware of the CPS decision to take no further action in this case.

"At the conclusion of our investigation we shared our findings with Sussex Police who agreed that the officer has a case to answer for gross misconduct.

"It will now be for Sussex Police to schedule a hearing to take place."

The force said its professional standards department would now set a date for a disciplinary hearing.

The CPS did not initially respond to requests for comment but later said: "We would like to apologise for the time it has taken to reach this decision and for the upset this has caused."

A specialist prosecutor examined all the available material in the file of evidence provided by the IOPC and found there was not enough evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction if the case went to court. A Victims' Right to Review request has been received and will be carried out by a prosecutor with no previous involvement in the case, a spokesman added.

Abuse campaigner Ms Brookes won a landmark High Court case in 2012 which forced Facebook to reveal the identifies of trolls who vilified her when she posted a comment supporting former X Factor contestant Frankie Cocozza.

In August, she saw internet troll Nicky Wright - who stalked her online, unleashing a torrent of abuse on a daily basis for more than a year - put behind bars for six months.

But the 39-year-old was released after serving only around six weeks of his sentence, the Press Association understands.

Sussex Police has sacked at least five officers since 2016 over misconduct of a sexual nature.

They include a police constable who told his sergeant she resembled a porn star, a Pc and a Detective Constable who both sold themselves for sex while on sick leave and an inspector who contacted prostitutes while on duty.

Another was dismissed after admitting stalking and assaulting a colleague.

He was handed a community order in court after hounding her with sexual propositions earlier this month.

There is an ongoing investigation into a chief inspector over allegations - which he contests - that he had sex on duty with another officer.

A CPS spokesperson said: "We considered a file of evidence referred to us by the Independent Office for Police Conduct regarding the alleged behaviour of an officer with Sussex Police.

"A specialist prosecutor examined all the available material and concluded there was not enough evidence for a realistic prospect  of conviction if the case went to court.

"We would like to apologise for the time it has taken to reach this decision and for the upset this has caused. We have received a request for a review of the decision under our Victims' Right to Review process. This will be carried out by a prosecutor with no previous involvement in the case."