Axed police chief drops legal action over arrest

A FORMER chief constable who was sacked for gross misconduct has halted a legal action for unlawful arrest against three police forces, including North and West Yorkshire.

Sean Price, sacked in October after he was found to have lied to the Independent Police Complaints Commission during an inquiry into nepotism at Cleveland Police, was arrested during a dawn raid at his North Yorkshire home in August 2011.

Mr Price and his deputy chief constable at Cleveland, Derek Bonnard, were both arrested on suspicion of fraud, corruption and misconduct in public office as part of a long-running inquiry, called Operation Sacristy, into alleged wrongdoing surrounding Cleveland Police. Mr Price remains on police bail but Mr Bonnard has since been released from bail without any charge.

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Last year, both men launched civil claims for unlawful arrest and detention, trespass and breach of human rights against North and West Yorkshire Police, who both had officers involved in their arrests.

They also planned to sue Keith Bristow, head of the National Crime Agency (NCA), who is leading Operation Sacristy, and the Warwickshire force from where Mr Bristow was seconded to the NCA from his chief constable role.

But yesterday Operation Sacristy said Leeds-based Rebian Solicitors, who represent both men, had confirmed the claims had been withdrawn.

An Operation Sacristy statement said: “We intended to defend their civil action against us and would have demonstrated in court that their arrest, the searches and their interviews were necessary, lawful and proportionate.”

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A claim for legal costs against Mr Price and Mr Bonnard, who faces his own discplinary hearing for alleged gross misconduct in March, is now being considered.

The men issued a joint statement last night which insisted the withdrawal of legal action was down to “timing issues”. They said they stood by their claims and intended to restart proceedings in the near future.