A SERVING police officer who used her force's computers to look up information about her partner's ex-wife has been ordered to carry out community service.

PC Michelle Denne, 44, illegally accessed the police database in order to obtain data relating to her then-boyfriend's former partner as well as her three children.

JPs heard the mum-of-three, who has over 20 years' experience in policing, also broke protocol by accessing data on her neighbours and her ex-husband.

She was finally caught after an investigation by Staffordshire Police's anti-corruption unit found the six breaches between 2009 and March last year.

The officer, who is based at Cannock Police Station, was suspended from duty and is now subject to internal misconduct proceedings.

Earlier this month she pleaded guilty to six offences under the Computer Misuse Act at Birmingham Magistrates Court.

On Monday she was sentenced to a community service order for six months, including 10 days of community rehabilitation work.

Denne, of Stafford, was also ordered to pay £185 court costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

After the case, Deputy Chief Constable Nick Baker, of Staffordshire Police, said: "Every day we are required to handle sensitive data and adhere to the proper use of systems without exception.

"Anyone who falls below these standards will be held to account and, as is the case with PC Denne, brought before the courts."

During an earlier hearing, the court was told the defendant accessed the computers to look up details on the woman, named only as Mrs Fincher.

Denne, who has three teenage children, also looked up details on a neighbour who had parked on her driveway.

Sam Watts, prosecuting, said: "By way of background to the offences, the defendant had started a relationship with a Mr Fincher.

"She had a strained relationship with his ex-wife, Mrs Fincher, and on occasion she accessed data in relation to her, her family and her three children."

She also looked up information about a sex offender who lived on her street on December 12, 2010.

On June 28, 2015, she got hold of a file on someone who had parked on her driveway, and weeks later – on September 6, 2015 – she looked into her ex-husband.

During the last offence, on March 17 last year, she tried to illegally get hold of data on the Fincher family.

Mr Watts said: "On each occasion, she was looking at specific events and specific people.

"The Crown submits that these were deliberate attempts, and that she was looking for certain people and certain data on them."

Colin Banham, defending, said his client had not extensively used the computers and had only done so to "protect her children".

He added: "Upon interview, the defendant admitted her part in these offences in full.

"This is not an extensive use of computer systems at random.

"This is very much someone who, on rare occasions, accessed data in order to secure her own personal life and to protect her children.

"She did not profit in any way from these breaches, and did not distribute information to third parties.

"She is a single mother, who is going through a lengthy divorce. She has had a number of personal setbacks."