Reader TTS

A former North Yorkshire Police officer removed and hid evidence following an arrest prior to searching the offender's premises. A gross misconduct hearing earlier this month found an

unnamed former police constable in North Yorkshire "removed items" following an arrest, "frustrating the lawful search of the premises". The former constable sent a

series of text messages saying he had moved a "massive knife before the police came round" and had "hidden a bullet". He also lied to Cleveland Police officers, saying he

had reported the arrest to the Professional Standards Department and had been interviewed about aiding and abetting the offender, despite neither being true. The former officer also failed

to declare any of this information to North Yorkshire Police, therefore failing to abide by lawful instructions. In trying to cover his tracks, the former constable said his texts to fellow

police officers were jokes, but the panel rejected this claim as the officers who received the messages reported the incident for investigation. Body worn video also showed a period of just

over two minutes in which the former officer was absent from any footage, enough time to remove or hide any items. The four allegations were all proven on the balance of probabilities, with

three resulting in gross misconduct charges. Failing to notify North Yorkshire Police was deemed misconduct. The report said the former officer's actions were "intentional,

deliberate and designed to mislead" and that although the harm caused may have been unintentional, "he should have foreseen potential harm to police reputation and to

colleagues". The hearing concluded that if the officer had still been in his post, he would have been sacked. _GET ALL THE LATEST AND BREAKING NEWS IN YORKSHIRE BY __SIGNING UP TO OUR

NEWSLETTER HERE._ GET ALL YORKSHIRE CRIME AND COURT STORIES SENT TO YOUR PHONE Get all the latest crime and court stories in Yorkshire news straight to your mobile via WhatsApp by clicking

here. Whether it's breaking news straight from a crime scene, live updates from big court cases happening in our region or police appeals, you'll get it all. If you don’t like our

community, you can leave any time. We also treat members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Read our privacy notice here.