Police officer who took £10 from abandoned vehicle charged with gross misconduct

Stephen Knott was working as a police constable based in the Kirklees district when he was called to an incident involving the vehicle in September last year.

He was arrested and charged with theft, after he was caught taking a £10 note.

After pleading guilty to the charge at Bradford Magistrates Court in August, he was sentenced to 80 hours community service and given a 12-month community order.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £95 and costs worth £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The former officer has been charged with gross misconduct and ordered to appear at a misconduct hearing on November 2.

It comes after police constable Chris Dwyer was sacked by West Yorkshire Police last year, after a misconduct panel found he paid just 10p for two packets of Jaffa Cakes from Halifax police station's canteen instead of the correct amount of £1.

The hearing heard Mr Dwyer "changed and embellished" his story when quizzed about it and said he could not remember what coins he had placed in the charity tin.

The force has also stated that police constable Anthony Spiteri will appear before a misconduct hearing that is due to begin on October 31.

He has been accused of using excessive force after he was called to deal with a guest who was being threatening and abusive to staff at Edgerton Hotel in Huddersfield, in December 2018.

According to the force, the officer allegedly used a choke hold which “carried a high risk of serious injury and should not have been used” on a suspect who was resisting arrest.

If the allegation is proven, he could be issued with a warning or dismissed by the force.