A police officer has admitted wilful misconduct after abandoning his duties when he was meant to be protecting the Israeli embassy in London.

In fact, Southwark Crown Court heard this week, Ricci Giff, who worked for the Diplomatic Protection Group, gave up his firearm and his CS spray and went instead to see the PR manager of the Israel Government Tourist Office, Melissa Ramsden, with whom he was having a relationship.

She committed suicide in December 2011.

The police officer, of Sandy, Bedfordshire, was suspended following the incident, which took place between October 29 and November 2, 2011.

He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Monday and will be sentenced on March 18.

Giff, 38, left his patrol on three occasions to see Ms Ramsden, 38. He went twice to her home in Queen’s Park, west London, and once at the Peel Centre, in Hendon, north London — the Met’s principal training centre.

The officer admitted three counts of misconduct in a public office when he appeared at Southwark Crown Court, and could now face a prison sentence.