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A former police constable who attempted to have sex with a female officer while on duty has been banned from policing.

Christopher Hudson, 33, of Huddersfield, was a North Yorkshire Police officer based in Harrogate when the allegation was made in March 2021.

He was suspended by the force, but a misconduct hearing found his actions were so serious that he would have been dismissed with immediate effect had he not already left.

Mr Hudson will be placed on the College of Policing Barred list.

Gross misconduct

Mr Hudson faced trial for one count of sexual assault in connection with the same allegations but was found not guilty at Leeds Crown Court in 2023.

North Yorkshire Police said this outcome did not affect gross misconduct proceedings, which are subject to a different legal threshold.

He was dismissed from the force in June 2023 following an accelerated misconduct hearing, over his failure to disclose information and comply with vetting requirements.

The result of the gross misconduct hearing - regarding his conduct towards the female officer - have only just been published.

The report from the panel, chaired by Simon Mallet, said: "The officer’s culpability is compounded by him acting while on duty.

"It was his intention to have sex in a police vehicle."

'Devastating impact'

It noted the female officer suffered "significant psychological harm as a consequence" of his actions.

Speaking about the report, Dep Ch Con Scott Bisset said: "Hudson’s conduct has had a devastating impact on the woman involved leading to her giving up a promising career.

"This type of misconduct is difficult to report under any circumstances but when it involves the very people the public should be able to trust, it adds a further element of concern."

He added his actions had "betrayed the public trust" and his former colleagues were "rightly appalled".

He said: "Members of the public can rest assured that we will take immediate action when such incidents come to light."

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