Two police officers on duty the night a toddler was abducted by paedophile Craig Sweeney have been reprimanded at a misconduct hearing.

The girl, identified only as Child A, was taken from her Cardiff home on January 2 last year. She was later sexually assaulted by Sweeney, who is a convicted paedophile.

Sweeney was caught after police in Swindon noticed him driving erratically and he was chased until he eventually crashed his car in countryside near Marlborough.

An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission was launched after the girl's father complained about the time it took for South Wales Police to respond to her abduction.

They partially upheld the complaint and recommended that officers face a misconduct panel for failing to be conscientious and diligent in the execution of their duties.

Yesterday, a disciplinary panel decided to formally reprimand the two officers, a superintendent and an inspector.

Barbara Wilding, chief constable of South Wales Police, said: "The family of Child A have been regularly updated by South Wales Police in the lead-up to the misconduct hearing.

"The child's father attended the hearing throughout and is aware of the decisions taken by the panel."

Miss Wilding met the girl's family last July and apologised to them in person.

More than 50 police officers were involved in the investigation into the girl's disappearance after she was taken from her home in Cardiff.

She was driven more than 80 miles and was later found by police officers in Wiltshire after a high-speed chase.

Sweeney, who lived in Caerleon Road, Newport, South Wales, was jailed for life in June last year.