A FORMER Avon and Somerset Police officer has been barred from policing after a "vulnerable woman" changed her will to "significantly benefit" him financially.

A misconduct panel hearing ruled that student police officer PC Narjit Thapa had committed gross misconduct, and would have been dismissed if he hadn't resigned.

The "inappropriate emotional relationship" took place with the vulnerable woman in Bristol, while Thapa was serving as a Police Community Support Officer.

Supt Mark Edgington, Head of PSD, said: “PC Thapa used his policing position to form an inappropriate emotional relationship with a vulnerable member of the public and knew full well he was in line to significantly benefit financially from her will.

“His actions are concerning and show evidence of malign intent. His role was to protect and reassure a victim of crime, not take advantage of her vulnerabilities for his own gain.

“It’s right he can never serve in policing and law enforcement again and I want to reassure our communities we’ll continue to be robust in rooting out those who are not fit to serve them.”

Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: "A former officer who had an inappropriate emotional relationship with a vulnerable woman and was named as a beneficiary in her will committed gross misconduct, a panel has ruled.

"Student police officer PC Narjit Thapa will now be barred from policing and other law enforcement agencies after a misconduct hearing panel, led by an independent Legally Qualified Chair, concluded he would have been dismissed if he hadn’t already resigned.

"The former officer joined Avon and Somerset Police in 2015 as a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) before becoming a student police constable. It was during his time as PCSO he formed the relationship with a vulnerable woman in Bristol, who was a repeat victim of crime.

"The woman, who has since died, changed her will to leave her property to the officer and his wife. It first came to light when she dialled 999 asking for the officer’s date of birth, stating it was for this purpose. This was flagged with his senior officers and then our Professional Standards Department (PSD).

"In 2022, PC Thapa contacted PSD to advise he’d been left the property following the woman’s death, later claiming he’d been in touch with the executor to decline it.

"An investigation by PSD found he’d given inaccurate information about how often he visited the woman’s home during the course of his duties, downplayed her vulnerability, and despite claiming he’d declined the gift of the property, was unable to provide evidence of doing so.

"He also told colleagues the woman only knew his wife through photos, when in fact she had been one of her paid carers."