A former chief constable, Paul Anderson, has been officially cleared of all allegations of gross misconduct after an investigation by the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Anderson, who led Humberside Police until his retirement last year, was accused of making offensive and discriminatory remarks. However, the IOPC concluded that there was no case to answer, as confirmed in a letter from lead investigator Paul Whitaker. Anderson, who declined to comment, expressed his delight at being completely exonerated.
Typically, while junior police officers are investigated by a different police force, chief constables are referred to the IOPC for misconduct cases. With 34 years of experience in policing, Anderson joined Humberside Police as an assistant chief constable in 2019. Under his leadership, the force became one of the top-performing forces in the country according to HM Inspectorate of Constabulary ratings.
In a separate case, Nick Adderley, the former chief constable of Northamptonshire Police, faces charges of fraud and misconduct in public office. Adderley, aged 59, is accused of lying about his military career, particularly falsely claiming to have been a former Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy from 2018 to 2024. He is also alleged to have made false claims about serving in the Falklands War and wearing associated service medals. The IOPC investigation revealed that Adderley misrepresented his naval career on his CV and application form for the chief constable position in Northamptonshire Police in 2018.
The Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime division, represented by Malcolm McHaffie, has decided to prosecute Adderley for fraud and misconduct in public office, citing sufficient evidence to proceed with criminal proceedings deemed to be in the public interest. Adderley is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 10th.