Police leader 'unable to remove' ex-chief's pension

A police and crime commissioner has said she is unable to remove the pension of a chief constable facing a gross misconduct hearing over alleged workplace relationships.

Scott Chilton led Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and retired from the force last year while under investigation.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones, while in the Hot Seat on BBC Radio Solent, said because there were no criminal proceedings it was "not legally permissible to do that".

In a wide-ranging interview, she also spoke about the increase in front-line police officers during her time as PCC and the large costs of policing protests.

Speaking about Chilton, Jones said it was her job to ensure she was holding the chief constable to account "and to ensure that standards of policing across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are really high and exactly what the public would expect".

"So when this unfortunate incident came to light last year I took the appropriate action - I made a referral to the independent office of police complaints and I accepted the chief constable's resignation immediately," she said.

The circumstances of his pension were "slightly nuanced" as he retired after serving for 30 years, she explained.

"The only way a police and crime commissioner can actually take away somebody's pension is if they've committed a criminal offence."

The PCC also told the BBC that the impact of policing protests had become "enormous" of late, with demonstrations taking place in the region, many related to immigration.

She said: "We're one of the very few police forces... that have not stopped having weekly protests since what happened in Southport last year.

"We've been having protests up at the Potters International Hotel in Aldershot, here in Southampton at the Highfield Hotel and in Portsmouth.

"In the month of August alone we spent over £250,000 on policing protests with our public order police officers, who are now under a lot of stress because they're having to work a lot of overtime, a lot of extra hours."

The PCC said since she took up the role in 2021 she had tried to make up for previous cuts, where specialist services were protected, "but at the cost of our front line".

"I have funded 815 more police officers. They've all gone into local policing, which is your 999 responders – called the district patrol teams – and the neighbouring policing teams, so going into the front door of the force.

"I've also brought back local bobbies... those police officers literally are there to be proactive, out walking the beat, in the community, going to schools, getting to know the local pub landlords, and really being a presence in local communities.

"I funded 214 of those over the last two years... I'm opening more police stations, front counters. I've been doing an awful lot to redress what's been happening in the 10 to 12 years before I arrived."

Jones said her goal was to reach 1,000 new police officers, and that there was "more positivity coming".

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