NEARLY 350 allegations of misconduct were made against Essex Police officers during the first four months of this year.

But figures released in a quarterly report by Chief Constable Steven Kavanagh show just eight per cent were upheld.

One member of the public complained about hair from a police dog being left on a car seat following a lawful search of their vehicle.

The investigation found that while dog hair had been left this was not the fault of any individual officer.

The report, published by new Police and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst, shows the vast majority of complaints are resolved before they get to the disciplinary stage.

He said: “These quarterly reports throw an important light on key issues and ensure transparency around the ethical be - haviour of Essex Police.

“We must recognise that every hour of every day, the over - whelming majority of police officers and police staff act with the highest ethical and professional standards, in an unpreictable environment, to keep the people of Essex safe from harm.”

The report includes 11 allegations of oppressive conduct, compared with 31 during the same period last year. There were 173 allegations of failures in duty, which was a drop from last year’s quarterly total of 185 allegations.There were also 11 allegations of discriminatory behaviour.

Three serious investigations have been launched this quar - ter, including one where it is alleged three officers failed to investigate a domestic violence incident.