The officers allegedly watched the two women for seven minutes before intervening, the Vancouver Sun reported.

Police declined to comment on reports that one of the women was HIV positive but did not tell her partner.

The incident happened in a police station in Kamloops, British Columbia, on August 18.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Tim Shields said the two women were first arrested separately for being drunk in public and causing a disturbance.

They were then placed in a holding cell at the police station, where they "began to engage in what appeared to be consensual sexual contact", he said.

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Four cops and three civilian officers watched the scene live on screens in a guard room monitoring the cells for seven minutes without intervening.

The cops themselves were caught on cameras monitoring the guard room and the tapes showed they were watching the women.

"The videotape is very clear. It is impartial. It shows exactly what happened between the two women inside that cell. It also shows when the employees arrived, how long they stayed and when they left," Mr Shields said.