Under fire policeman criticises ‘unfair’ inquiry

A FORMER police chief constable who was cleared of misconduct following a £400,000 inquiry into his spending and use of socail media has complained it “felt as if the world had just dropped out of my life”.
Stuart HydeStuart Hyde
Stuart Hyde

Stuart Hyde, previously a West Yorkshire Police detective, spent a year suspended from his £130,000-a-year post as temporary chief constable of Cumbria Police as his conduct was investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and South Wales Police.

He was cleared by the IPCC but separate inquiry by South Wales found he spent too much time out of the county, breached force policy on credit card use and used social media inappropriately.

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However, the longrunning inquiry concluded that Mr Hyde’s shortcomings did not amount to misconduct although the force did make 36 recommendations.

Talking to the BBC’s Inside Out programme, Mr Hyde said: “It doesn’t feel like a fair process at all. What it feels like is a one sided view.

“People that made allegations were treated as correct without any opportunity for me to address them and I don’t think that is what justice is about.

“If it was a court room or a discipline tribunal I would have been given all of the statements, all of the information.

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“I am now still fighting to get hold of them. I will get them eventually and I hope I will be able to make some judgements.”

Mr Hyde, who had a 30-year career as a police officer, said that his emails, diary and expenses were all placed under the spotlight during the investigation.

Investigators also looked into concerns about his private meetings with businesses and contractors.

“I think they believed I was some sort of corrupt officer doing dodgy deals here there and everywhere - that was not the case,” Mr Hyde said.

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“In essence that was the net result of the investigation - ‘Stuart get your paperwork in order tell people what you are doing and move on’.’”

Mr Hyde was initially suspended in September 2012 as the IPCC began its investigation. Its inquiries concluded the following month but he remained suspended.

Following the conclusion of the South Yorkshire Police inquiry, Mr Rhodes insisted Mr Hyde did have a case to answer and re-suspended him as he started a process leading to his retirement or resignation.

However, Mr Hyde’s period as temporary chief constable came to an end while suspended and his return to the role of deputy chief constable made him the responsibility of new temporary chief constable Bernard Lawson.

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Mr Lawson approved Mr Hyde’s return to work in September last year, saying that Mr Hyde’s behaviour “did fall short of what the police service and the public should demand from a senior public servant” but that he should return to work under a detailed plan to ensure lessons are learnt from what has been identified during the investigation.”

Mr Hyde returned to his desk to take on responsibility for information technology at the force before subsequently taking retirement in December.

Mr Rhodes said in a statement: “The suspension of temporary Chief Constable Stuart Hyde was undertaken in accordance with the Police Regulations.

“As a public body there are strict legal rules as to what information can and should be released.

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“The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner will always endeavour to be as open and transparent as possible.”

Mr Rhodes’s own conduct was in the spotlight last year after it emerged he had used a chauffeur-driven car costing £700 to attend evening engagements.

He apologised for not checking the cost of the vehicle and repaid the money.

A police investigation was carried out into the leaking of the information but no charges were brought.