Suspended Cheshire police chief 'consigned staff to the idiot box'

A chief constable accused of bullying was "happy to consign people to the idiot box", a hearing has been told.

Simon Byrne, who was suspended from Cheshire Constabulary last year, is accused of bullying and humiliating staff between May 2014 and March 2017.

Former assistant chief constable Guy Hindle said Mr Byrne would regularly send negative emails that made staff feel they had "done things wrong".

Mr Byrne denies gross misconduct at the Warrington Town Hall hearing.

The chief's terse emails became well known among staff and were described in derogatory terms, the panel heard.

Mr Hindle praised Mr Byrne's leadership, but added: "The caveat was you have to look after people, and Simon was happy to consign people to the idiot box and the far reaches of the empire and that was in my view unnecessary."

He said the force was "lucky to have" Mr Byrne, describing him as "the most talented person I had ever encountered in policing".

He added: "The organisation had changed under Simon's leadership almost exclusively for the better".

Mr Hindle said those in Mr Byrne's staff team developed a "self-help group" to deal with the chief's regular mood changes and "occasional enigmatic and unnecessary behaviour".

"Other people did think there was malice in his motivation. I didn't take that view", he said.

He told the hearing it was "a crying shame" the officer had been investigated, and "other people have had life-changing experiences at his hand".

Asked about previous claims alleging Mr Byrne could act aggressively and shout at staff, Mr Hindle said: "I cannot ever remember hearing Simon raising his voice at all ever at anyone."

Mr Hindle said he had decided to retire because of a "toxic" environment following disagreements between himself and the current acting chief constable Jeanette McCormick, who was Mr Byrne's deputy at the time.

"I didn't consider her an effective deputy", he said.

The hearing continues.