A detective who faked forensic test results in sex crime investigations to reduce his workload was today jailed for two years.

Det Cons Carl Ryan, 35, made up test results for investigations into alleged rapes and sexual assaults to cut down his “donkey work”.

Working in the Metropolitan Police’s then Sapphire Command sex crimes unit in Islington, he failed to send evidence including swabs and a condom for forensic and toxicological tests, before recording “negative” results.

When his offences came to light, the unit had to be shut down for months, and several of his cases needed reinvestigating.

Ryan, of Cemmaes Court Road, Hemel Hempstead, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of five counts of misconduct in public office between January 1, 2010 and July 1, 2012.

He was cleared of a further charge of misconduct in public office over the same period.

Passing sentence, Judge Alistair McCreath said the detective was overcome by his workload because he was “not very organised”.

“It seems to me a much larger part of it was you wanted to be in the limelight, to be the one who did the most interesting and spectacular early investigations - but in doing that you did not apply yourself to the less interesting donkey work.”

The judge said that while Ryan had not committed the crimes for personal gain or with corrupt intentions, there was a “clear risk of injustice” and a chance that a perpetrator may have walked free.

He said: “Police officers have a unique position in our society because they are given wide powers and very important powers, but with those powers goes also heavy responsibility.”

Ryan, who appeared in the dock wearing a dark suit, showed no emotion as he was jailed.

The convictions followed an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Associate commissioner Tom Milsom said today: “Throughout his time leading investigations into allegations of serious sexual offences, Carl Ryan broke the trust of the vulnerable victims he was supposed to protect and seek justice for.

“His actions can be summed up as a significant breach of the faith the public should have in the police.”