Northamptonshire chief constable dismissed for gross misconduct

A police disciplinary panel has found allegations of gross misconduct proven against Northamptonshire Chief Constable Nick Adderley today (Friday) and has dismissed him without notice, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). 

IOPC regional director Emily Barry said:

“Public confidence in policing needs chief constables to demonstrate the highest standards of conduct and set an example to their colleagues. The panel’s findings show that Mr Adderley’s conduct had fallen well below the professional standards of any police officer, never mind a chief constable.”

We carefully investigated a range of allegations against the chief constable of misrepresentation of his past naval service and in January recommended that he should face gross misconduct proceedings. We compiled the substantive and significant evidence which has informed the disciplinary hearing.

That evidence demonstrated a pattern of sustained misbehaviour where Mr Adderley perpetuated a false narrative around his military service. 

Among the evidence presented, it was asserted that:

• in his application in 2018 to become chief constable of Northamptonshire, Mr Adderley made several false claims concerning his service in the Royal Navy 
• that Mr Adderley had been photographed wearing an apparent South Atlantic Medal giving the false impression he had served in the Falklands, when he knew that to be untrue 
• that he failed to correct inaccurate media reporting of his record with the Royal Navy, a narrative in part based on Northamptonshire Police news releases 
• that he gave false information in a phone conversation with a senior member of staff at the Office for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner of Northamptonshire concerning his naval service.

Based on this evidence, the panel found breaches of honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct leading to his dismissal at the end of these proceedings. 

In April we referred an evidential file to the Crown Prosecution Service for them to consider any potential criminal charge. A referral to the CPS does not mean that any charge will necessarily follow. 

The IOPC’s criminal and misconduct investigations followed a referral from the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire.