A police officer tipped off his son after he was spotted on CCTV close to the scene of a mugging in Sidcup, a court heard.

Detective Sergeant Darren McCabe, 50, was taken aside by friend and colleague Det Sgt Mark Edgley, 47, who is accused of telling him "your son's going to get nicked".

Southwark Crown Court heard two lads had been caught on camera attempting to steal a shoulder bag from a pedestrian, while McCabe's son stood and watched.

Iain Forbes, a trainee detective constable at the time, was handling the investigation into the attempted theft.

He became "troubled" when he spotted it was his superior's son and sought advice from Edgley, jurors heard.

Prosecutor Ian Paton said: "The response from Mr Edgley virtually instantaneously you will see was words to the effect of 'this is the last thing he needs' because Mr McCabe was having a problematic separation and divorce from his wife.

"Mr Edgely revealed effectively all of the investigation that he had been supervising to Mr McCabe - the worried father.

"For a few minutes, quarter of an hour, half an hour, who knows, in effect they both took off their policeman's helmets."

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Mr Paton said: "Mr Edgley has tipped off Mr McCabe - your son's going to get nicked - and Mr McCabe as the father is tipping off his wife and the suspect, his son."

In recorded phone calls, McCabe told his wife: "You can't disclose any of this I'm telling you as I'm trying to help our son."

The teenager was at risk of being identified from the "distinctive clothing" he wore at the time of the attempted theft, and his wardrobe would have been searched when he was arrested, the court heard.

But McCabe allegedly set out to reveal details of the clothing his son was wearing in the footage to his wife and son.

Mr Paton said: "That is as explicit an example of trying to poison the well of investigation to justice.

"It is Mr McCabe quite nakedly saying what he is about to do and what he wants to happen - he wants to find the clothing the police are looking for and notify the wife and son of the clothing the police are looking for.

"The disclosure by DS Edgley was an act that had a tendency to derail, divert, subvert the investigation that was in hand by DC Forbes and that knowing, as he did, what would be the reasonable reaction of a father rather than an investigating police officer.

"Mr Edgley intended to derail and subvert that investigation to the advantage of a friend, a colleague - DS McCabe.

"The prosecution say McCabe acted promptly and effectively to tip-off his son and to give advice and disclose significant details of the investigation that was in hand.

"That was deliberate and as Mr McCabe will know had the tendency of perverting the course of public justice that the investigation in hand was part of."

Edgley and McCabe, both based at Bexleyheath police station, deny doing acts which had a tendency to pervert the course of justice between February 12 2013 and February 15 last year.

McCabe's son was not prosecuted following the investigation into the alleged attempted theft.

The trial continues.