Breaking: Northamptonshire chief constable will face disciplinary hearing
Nick Adderley has been suspended since October and the police watchdog is criminally investigating whether he misrepresented his military career
By Sarah Ward
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Northamptonshire’s suspended chief constable will face disciplinary proceedings following an investigation by the police watchdog.
Police, fire and crime commissioner Stephen Mold has made the announcement within the last half hour following an investigation by police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IOPC) which has recommended Nick Adderley face an accelerated gross misconduct hearing. The date is yet to be set, but the commissioner has said it will happen ‘at the earliest opportunity’.
A spokesperson for the IOPC said:
“Our criminal investigation into allegations that the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire, Nick Adderley, has misrepresented his military service is ongoing. At the end of the investigation, we will decide whether or not to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider any potential offence.
“In the meantime, we have sent a report relating to disciplinary matters to the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for Northamptonshire alongside our recommendation that the Chief Constable’s conduct should be considered at a misconduct hearing, for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour, which could amount to gross misconduct. The standards identified are honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct.
“We advised the PFCC, based on the evidence we had gathered to date, that the PFCC should proceed to an accelerated gross misconduct hearing. Arrangements for a misconduct hearing are for the PFCC to take forward. We are grateful for the assistance provided by the PFCC during the investigation.”
The hearing will be carried out by an independent panel that will consist of a Legally Qualified Chair (LQC), a representative of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary and an independent panel member.
Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold said:
“I am grateful to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for the work it has carried out to date into the allegations against Chief Constable Nick Adderley. I am now convening an independent panel to consider the allegations.”
The commissioner’s office referred a complaint to the IOPC back in July after it was flagged up that Adderley had been wearing Falklands War medals which were not his own at a police awards event. At the time Adderley said the medals belonged to a family member who had given him permission to wear them.
The IOPC announced in October it was criminally investigating Adderley following allegations he had misrepresented his military career and said it had also served a gross misconduct notice on him for ‘potential breaches of police professional standards relating to honesty and integrity, orders and instructions and conduct’.
As NN Journal exclusively revealed Adderely had claimed on his CV shown to a panel who had a role in appointing him, that he had been a commander in the Royal Navy. This appears to be a false claim, and there are question marks about other aspects of his CV including how long he served in the Royal Navy and his qualifications. CV fraud is a crime which can lead to a prison term.
If found guilty of gross misconduct, Adderley, who has been suspended since October on full pay, will be removed from his £165,000 job.
Any criminal charges will be taken forward by the CPS.
Cheshire-born Adderley joined the Northamptonshire force in 2018 from Staffordshire police, and made a big impression on the public, liking to use social media to communicate.
At one point he was even tipped by some to be the next leader of the Metropolitan police.
However during his tenure the big improvements needed in the force, which is rated by inspectors as requiring improvement have not happened. Ivan Balhatchet is the acting chief constable currently.
NN Journal understands that an inspection report will be published in the next couple of weeks which will show that while some areas have improved, other areas have worsened.
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Under the cosh
By Sarah Ward At the weekend The Sun and the Daily Mail ran similar stories about Northamptonshire’s chief constable Nick Adderley, following up from the Sun scoop last month about his wearing of military medals that were not his own. The Sun’s latest story
Well done Sarah, NN Journal is the only reliable source of news in the county. Come on everyone and subscribe for the cost of a cup of coffee a month.
Thanks Sarah, always at the forefront of local news. Wonder how long it will take to read this elsewhere 😂