A NORTH Yorkshire Police officer has resigned over gross misconduct after he failed a steroids drug test.

A disciplinary hearing heard that the now ex-PC Ethan Wigglesworth’s appearance had changed over time and that this was probably caused by regular taking of anabolic and androgenic steroids.

He failed a drug test for both types of drugs, which was taken when he was on duty on January 5.

Ex-PC Wigglesworth was a student police officer with North Yorkshire Police and a policeman for three years. He resigned from the force after the drug tests and before the hearing.

Chief constable Tim Forber said: “The consumption of androgenic or anabolic steroids is not conducive with being a serving police officer.

“In addition, the levels identified are demonstrative of substance misuse and both are in conflict with North Yorkshire policy and amount to a breach of the standards of professional behaviour in relation to discreditable conduct and fitness for duty.

“It is unacceptable that police officers misuse substances.”

He added: “Although there was only one time that testing occurred, there was probably regular, repeated and sustained behaviour over a period of time given the change in the physique of the former officer.”

Ex-PC Wigglesworth had deliberately taken the drugs, knowing it was against his force's policy, the chief constable said. 

The hearing heard that ex-PC Wigglesworth had apologised and accepted that his behaviour merited being dismissed from the police. He didn’t explain why he had taken the drugs.

The chief constable said he would have sacked ex-PC Wigglesworth for gross misconduct if he had not resigned. He formally dismissed him and put him on the national list of people barred from serving as police officers.