Lady in blue used fake name

The female police officer caught moonlighting as a prostitute is believed to have signed on with an Auckland brothel under a fictitious name.

Well-placed sources within the sex industry confirmed to the Herald on Sunday that the officer was employed by an Auckland brothel under the name Melissa Dawson.

Checks with police found no record of any officer by that name working in Auckland.

Despite the controversy over the officer's after-hours activities, she retained her job - but underwent "counselling", which in police-speak amounts to a formal censure.

The officer had been earning between $40,000 and $45,000 a year but had been struggling to make ends meet, so turned to prostitution to supplement her income.

Sex industry sources said the officer - who went under the working name of "Sophie" - was "extremely popular" and had a number of regular and satisfied clients, who paid $180 a time for a "full sex service".

From that fee, the officer received $100, with the remaining $80 going to the brothel.

During some 12-hour shifts, the officer made as much as $500.

One Auckland prostitute spoken to by the Herald on Sunday said the officer had been careful about concealing her identity from the Auckland brothel she worked for.

While the officer was not particularly outgoing, she was nevertheless friendly and had struck up a close friendship with a fellow prostitute by the name of Summer - a "tall sophisticated lady with class".

Summer had been working for Club 574 in Auckland City, but management say they have no record of the officer being on their books either under her assumed name or working name.

Club 574 spokesman Anthony Grant rubbished earlier reports linking the officer with the brothel, saying a close check of his books had turned up nothing to suggest she had been an employee of his.