A STUDENT police officer was caught with a weapon inside a rucksack just 11 days into the job.

Police Constable Ryan Draper, 29, would have been sacked had he not resigned, a West Yorkshire Police misconduct hearing found last Friday.

Draper was deemed to have committed gross misconduct with his actions, which “bring discredit on the police and undermines public confidence”, according to a report from the hearing.

The new recruit was arrested on December 9, 2022 after it was reported to police that he was in possession of a canister of CS gas - used by officers as a temporary incapacitant spray.

His home address was searched and a camouflage rucksack was found in the living room.

It contained a police-issued pocket notebook with Draper’s name on it and a CS gas 20ml cannister, which was not police-issued, according to the report.

A streamlined forensic report was obtained which showed PAVA – similar to pepper spray – was detected in the discharge of the device.

This is a noxious substance and was therefore subject to the Firearms Act 1968.

Draper pleaded guilty to possessing a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid, gas, electrical incapacitation device, or thing at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on February 16.

He received a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £111 in total.

The 29-year-old claimed in court he was provided the canister in a previous role as a vehicle recovery operative.

This was to “protect himself” and Draper said he then “forgot he had it”.

Assistant Chief Constable Damien Miller, who made the judgement at the hearing, said in the report he did not try “determine whether or not this account is true”.

This is because it made no difference to his assessment of the seriousness, “whether he accepted it in a previous role or whether he obtained it in other, unknown, circumstances”.

The report said that Draper being convicted of a criminal offence “in itself is highly discreditable”.

ACC Miller said “the public would be alarmed to learn that a police officer was in possession of an unlawful weapon”.

Draper did not attend the hearing and no representations were made on the former officer’s behalf.

ACC Miller found Draper’s possession of the canister was “intentional” as he “never provided any explanation or excuse for this in these proceedings”.

The report said that in Draper’s resignation letter “he does not come close to admitting responsibility or demonstrating insight”.

But there is no evidence of actual use of the canister.

ACC Miller said: “I have considered whether there was any risk of use.

“Whilst there is risk associated with any weapon, I do not find that there was any specific risk associated with the former officer’s possession of this weapon, which is non-lethal.”