A FORMER police sergeant on trial accused of raping a woman while on duty has denied the offence.

Derek Seekings is accused of assaulting a woman while on a break from his work as a police officer, and on one other occasion.

He faces two accusations of rape dating between 1994 and 2000.

The 66-year-old father, who is no longer a serving officer, denies the offences and is standing trial at Brighton Crown Court.

On Wednesday Seekings took to the witness box to give evidence in his defence.

Asked about the allegations he said: “It didn’t happen.

“It didn’t happen, it has never happened.”

He faced questions from prosecutor Jennifer Gray who asked him: “You are quite simply a man who doesn’t take no for an answer aren’t you?”

He replied: “No I am not.”

READ MORE: Former police officer on trial accused of raping woman while on duty

The jury was told that Seekings was suspended from duty for a number of months and demoted to Pc in the late 90s following a car accident which led to a driving conviction.

Earlier in the trial Ms Gray told the jury that one of the alleged rapes took place while Seekings was on a break from work.

She said: “She made it very clear to him she didn’t want to have sex with him, he carried on regardless and he raped her.”

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons was left “very upset and distressed about what had gone on”, the prosecutor said.

Seekings, of Southern Way in Farnborough, Hampshire, retired from Surrey Police in 2005.

The trial continues