Two of the officers, including one from Kettering, have been sacked and the third ordered to resign by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

A disciplinary hearing was told how the officers threatened and assaulted the teenager, sprayed him with pava spray and then falsified notes to try to hide their actions.

But yesterday, Independent Police Complaints Commisioner Amerdeep Somal said the officers had abused their position of authority and branded them a "disgrace".

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Sean Holditch, 43, from Kettering, and William Docherty, 42, from Rothersthorpe, Northampton, were found guilty of seven charges and sacked.

The third officer, Stephen Eaton, 50, from Long Buckby, was required to resign after pleading guilty to three charges at the hearing on Friday.

But despite the findings, a Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said it had not been able to continue a criminal prosecution against the three officers.

He said: "We charged all three officers concerned with malfeasance in public office and one of them with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

"While the case was in court, a legal ruling was made that meant that we could no longer continue the prosecution.

"We therefore discontinued the case."

Kettering MP Philip Hollobone said: "The public needs to be reassured that police officers behave at all times in accordance with the law of the land and from time to time police officers are brought to book for behaving inappropriately, and that's the conclusion of the IPCC.

"Following the IPCC ruling it may be that that Crown Prosecution Service will want to revisit the possibility for criminal charges but that's a decision for the CPS."

An IPCC spokesman said the officers arrested the youth in Daventry at about 7.30pm on November 24, 2006.

He had run from a car that was thought to be stolen and was wanted for breach of bail and on warrant for failing to appear at court.

However, despite being arrested at 7.30pm, the teenager did not arrive at the custody suite in Northampton until just before 10pm.

He claimed during the two-and-a-half hour period the officers used PAVA spray on him, threatened and intimidated him while driving him around the Daventry area, and tried to plant drugs on him.

It was later discovered the car he had been running from was not stolen.

Ms Somal added: "The actions of these officers were totally unacceptable.

"They abused their position of authority by using violence and threats to intimidate this youth and cover up the matter.

"They have brought disgrace upon themselves and the force and I applaud the fact that decisive action has been taken against them."

Assistant Chief Constable Derek Talbot of Northamptonshire Police said: "These three officers originally faced charges that were withdrawn by the CPS with our agreement.

"Despite this fact, we decided that the matter was so serious that they should face a disciplinary panel.