Two police officers have resigned after they were accused of having drugs.

Inspector Mark Andrews and PC Bobby Newton stood down from their Sussex Police roles after they were arrested on suspicion of possessing a class A drug.

They were questioned and released on bail while officers carried out an investigation.

Both answered bail this month and police have confirmed they have tendered their resignations.

PC Newton, 30, is understood to have received a caution. No further action was taken against Insp Andrews, 38, or against two other men who were arrested at the same time.

The officers left the force voluntarily, rather than being asked to resign.

They had been suspended since May and Sussex Police’s professional standards department had been investigating the allegations.

Sussex Police has refused to say what type of drug the pair were suspected of possessing - and whether they had been guilty of having the illegal substance.

Both men spent large parts of their careers in Brighton and Hove's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender unit.

Insp Andrews won a national award for his work as a dedicated officer working with the gay community and represented the force on a fact-finding mission to San Francisco.

He later become a duty inspector, organising the police response to incidents in the city.