A married senior police official who stalked his mistress in a month-long campaign of revenge after she ended their affair has avoided prison.

Nick Harverson, 58, who was the head of corporate support at Thames Valley Police, was found guilty of stalking his ex-lover Charlotte Roberts after she ended their relationship in October last year.

He had been convicted by a district judge earlier this month of a single charge of stalking without causing fear or alarm between November 16 and December 22 last year.

Harverson returned to Oxford Magistrates' Court to be sentenced and was told by District Judge Tim Pattinson to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, and to pay £2,500 prosecution costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

He was also banned from any direct or indirect contact with Ms Roberts or go to the street where she lives for a period of five years.

Haverson did not work for the Thames Valley force at the time of the incident.