A serving Metropolitan Police officer charged with raping two women has been granted bail.

Pc Rupert Edwards, 30, is accused of carrying out the alleged attacks on the complainants, who are aged in their 20s and 30s, 11 days apart.

He is alleged to have carried out the rapes in Epsom, Surrey, on August 26 and in Lambeth, south London, on September 5, while he was off-duty.

Edwards, from Ashstead, Surrey, was remanded in custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on December 9.

Judge Freya Newbery granted him conditional bail at Inner London Crown Court on Friday ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing on Monday.

Edwards did not attend the hearing, where defence and prosecution barristers appeared by video-link.

The judge said he must live and sleep at his aunt’s address in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, with an electronically-monitored curfew between 8pm and 8am.

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Edwards cannot go into the M25 area, apart from to attend court or pre-arranged meetings with his lawyers, and must not contact any of the complainants or prosecution witnesses in the case.

Scotland Yard previously said the officer, attached to the south west basic command unit, was arrested on suspicion of rape on September 5 and was bailed and suspended from duty.

On December 8, he was further arrested on suspicion of rape, before being charged the following day.