The Metropolitan police has apologised and paid compensation to a woman for the “sexist, derogatory and unacceptable language” used against her by officers during a strip search.

Dr Konstancja Duff was arrested on 5 May 2013 on suspicion of obstructing and assaulting police after trying to hand a legal advice card to a 15-year-old caught in a stop-and-search sweep in Hackney, but was later cleared in court.

She was taken to Stoke Newington police station, where Sergeant Kurtis Howard ordered the search when she refused to cooperate with officers.

Officers had claimed they had acted with professionalism, strip-searching her for her own safety because she would not give them her name.

However, CCTV captured Dr Duff being held down on the floor while her clothes were cut off and officers asked “Is she rank?” and said “What’s that smell? Oh, it’s her knickers”.

The Met police has apologised for using “sexist, derogatory and unacceptable language” against a woman during a strip search