Force’s top officers received £450,000 in extra payments

The chief constable, his deputy and assistant chiefs at Norfolk Police have been paid the money over the last five years on top of their salaries under what the local police authority and its successor, the police and crime commissioner (PCC), described as a “market forces supplement”.

Norfolk’s PCC Stephen Bett, who was also chairman of the former police authority, said legal advice had been taken before the payments were made but declined to specify under which legal authority the sum has been paid.

Ian McPherson received an extra £25,500 under the scheme in 2008/09 and a further £19,350 the following year even though he left to join the Metropolitan Police in December 2009. Mr McPherson had previously received a £70,000 relocation package when he joined Norfolk from the deputy chief constable role with North Yorkshire in 2007. The legal basis for relocation payments is established in national police regulations.

Mr McPherson received a further £32,000 bonus for 2008/09 though it is unclear on what basis this was paid. There is a nationally agreed and approved bonus scheme for all chief officers which includes a bonus of up to 15 per cent of basic salary for chief constables if performance criteria are met. As Mr McPherson’s salary was £129,000, a £32,000 bonus represented around 25 per cent.

Phil Gormley, Mr McPherson’s successor, has been given £27,000 for each of the last three years under the market forces supplement while deputy and assistant chief constables have received up to £26,500 a year under the scheme, bringing the total to £450,000 from 2008/09 to present.

In a statement, Mr Bett said: “I can confirm that the former Norfolk Police Authority had obtained advice through external London solicitors, and Counsel regarding the ability to pay such allowances or to apply benefits over and beyond the Association of Chief Police Officer pay scales. Such advice was shared with our then external auditors and with HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). It is, and remains, confidential legal advice to these bodies.”

The statement did not refer to approval being sought from the Home Secretary as required under regulations governing chief officer pay. It is unclear why Norfolk would involve HMIC as it has no role in approving police pay.

Mr Bett added: “The payments were offered to attract high calibre officers to the shortlist and to ensure a competitive appointment process. They were then applied to ensure optimum performance linked to fixed-term contracts.

“Norfolk has enjoyed a good level of performance whilst re-engineering its structure and being involved in a leading (described by HMIC recently as “exemplary”) collaboration process with our neighbours, Suffolk as we face the challenge of significantly reduced central government (taxpayers) support for policing.”

Mr Bett said he was not aware of the basis of legal action being taken by the Cleveland PCC to recover payments made to its former chief constable.

“That is a matter for them, and now the courts to assess the facts in all the circumstances,” he said. “Those circumstances do not pertain to Norfolk.

“We will, of course, study any judgement to see if it impacts on the position here but I am satisfied that all reasonable measures were taken to determine Norfolk’s legal position beforehand.”

However, Mr Bett added: “Nevertheless, I am taking the opportunity to review the contract terms as we currently have a vacancy for the Chief Constable following Mr Gormley’s appointment as Deputy Director of the National Crime Agency.”