A police officer from Barking has claimed he agreed to meet a teenage girl in a park to offer "career advice".

Pc Adnan Arib, based out of Bethnal Green station, denies two charges of misconduct in a public office and is currently on trial at Southwark Crown Court.

One charge relates to his alleged behaviour towards the 15-year-old girl he asked to meet him in a park; the other centres around his conduct toward a 16-year-old girl who he reportedly called “very pretty” at Bethnal Green station.

With respect to the former, it's alleged that in July 2019, Arib was called to the flat of the 15-year-old girl by her mother who had made accusations of theft.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard that Arib asked the teenager to write her phone number, name and other details on a piece of paper during a conversation in her room.

The officer maintains his interactions with the youngster were solely for the purposes of offering career guidance, both on that day and during the future park meeting.

Giving evidence yesterday - Tuesday, February 15 - the 45-year-old claimed he had planned to talk through “interview techniques” and “careers advice” with her when he met her in a nearby park after she finished school.

Prosecutors allege that he also asked her if she had a boyfriend and offered to take her out for a drink, alongside texting her after the meeting to say that it was “lovely” seeing her.

Arib denied raising either topic, and when asked why he sent the above message, replied: "We had a nice chat about, you know, she can do something with her life.

“I didn’t think of anything sinister or anything, it’s just a text I would send to anyone. For me it’s just a general, generic greeting.”

Prosecutor Jacqueline Carey claimed the meeting had "absolutely nothing to do with careers advice at all", an allegation Arib denied.

The second charge relates to allegations that the officer told a 16-year-old girl that she was "very pretty" while at Bethnal Green station.

Jurors heard that officers found a phone - which Arib initially denied ownership of - containing 47 text messages between them.

The trial continues.