A POLICE call handler who hung up on a woman who was later raped has been dismissed from her role. 

Gail Daniels-Ekarte spent five and a half minutes on the phone with a woman reporting that she was in danger in December 2013, but hung up the 999 phone call and failed to send police to help. 

Thames Valley Police later received a further call saying the same woman had been raped. 

At a gross misconduct hearing it was found that Ms Daniels-Ekarte failed to deal with the call appropriately and did not follow TVP policies and guidelines while working at the Milton Keynes control room.

She was dismissed from her job without notice last Wednesday, August 10.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Hardcastle, head of operations for Thames Valley Police, said: “We have dismissed a member of staff as they failed to respond appropriately to what was a clear call for help from a member of the public.

“At Thames Valley Police we expect the highest of standards from our staff and officers. Sadly the individual’s actions in this case fell very far below the standard of what we expect.”

An investigation later led to the imprisonment of 40-year-old Ruzgas Ziluina of Odessa Road, London, who was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for one count of rape and placed on the sexual offenders register. 

The Independent Police Complaints Commission recommended Ms Daniels-Ekarte face a hearing over her behaviour after it was first referred to them.

Ms Daniels-Ekarte can appeal the decision.