Ex-North Yorkshire PC jailed for charging for gun advice

Paul Duffield took on his civilian role after retiring as a police constable

A police firearms enforcement officer has been jailed for 10 months after admitting demanding money for advice about guns.

Paul Duffield, 55, charged one hotel £393 in consultancy fees rather than providing the information for free.

He admitted two counts of misconduct in public office and two firearms charges at a previous hearing.

Duffield took the civilian role with North Yorkshire Police after retiring as a police constable from the force.

He was arrested in May 2017 and resigned from the force in January 2018.

Teesside Crown Court heard Duffield, from Oulston Road, Easingwold, North Yorkshire, received money from the Black Swan Hotel in Helmsley - a market town popular with game shooting parties - and attempted to claim money from the Feversham Arms Hotel, also in Helmsley.

He provided advice to the hotels about shotguns then tried to bill them as a consultant.

Duffield also admitted two counts of possessing firearms and possessing ammunition without authority after officers found a number of powerful air rifles at his home.

Twelve rounds of ammunition were found in a wardrobe at his home and an "explosives box" containing ammunition was discovered on top of a freezer in an outhouse.

Neither type of ammunition could be legally purchased and they were not stored securely.

Passing sentence, Judge Sean Morris said: "Honesty and integrity is crucial for public trust in the police and those who work for the police."