TORONTO — A veteran Toronto Police officer is under investigation on allegations he drank liquor and smoked cigars while guarding a dead man.

A male officer – with some 20 years on the force – is alleged to have driven to a northwestern Toronto home where he was assigned Jan. 29 to watch a body until a coroner could arrive. Several hours passed, and it’s alleged the officer consumed the dead man’s liquor and smoked his cigars.

He then allegedly drove back to 23 Division in a heavily intoxicated state.

Sources told the Toronto Sun the incident was being suppressed to the media and that it was being spun as an officer, who is diabetic, having problems – rather than an officer stealing a dead man’s booze while on the job.

Police spokesman Mark Pugash confirmed an investigation is underway, but said he is prohibited by law from divulging any details.

Pugash said he doesn’t have a sense of when the probe will conclude.

“The brass simply didn’t want any more bad news after the keystone cop incident of last week,” a police source said, citing the case reported in the Sun of two officers being suspended after allegedly consuming drugs seized in a pot dispensary raid.

spazzano@postmedia.com