PARIS (Reuters) - A cyclist stopped by police for riding the wrong way down a one-way street turned out to be a trainee policeman who was illegally carrying a gun and who admitted he was on his way to buy drugs.

A police spokesman said on Tuesday that the would-be law enforcer told police he was carrying the handgun because the neighborhood where he planned to buy drugs was unsafe.

"This is not exactly the type of element we want in our ranks and I think his presence in police school is about to come to an abrupt end," the spokesman told Reuters.