A FORMER police officer who raped a woman 40 years ago while on duty has had his sentence increased to eight years.

In October 1978 David Lomax was a 43-year-old serving officer with West Yorkshire Police and responsible for arresting people ordered to pay court fines.

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Lomax was sent to arrest his victim, but instead he told her that she would have to perform a sexual favour for him to avoid being arrested and going to prison. Lomax then raped her.

The victim told officers about the rape when she was arrested for not paying the fine.

DNA testing found a specimen but was not able to identify Lomax conclusively until the case was reopened in 2016 and new technology proved the DNA did belong to the police officer.

Lomax, now 84, was originally sentenced in October 2018 to four years and nine months at Leeds Crown Court, but the Court of Appeal increased his sentence on Wednesday.

The Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, said: "Lomax abused his position of trust as a police officer, and got away with his crime for too long. It is only right that it is now made clear to him that his actions have not been forgotten and will be met with the full force of the law.”