Mike Veale: Under fire ex-police chief's advisory work queried

Concerns have been raised over a former chief constable doing advisory work for a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) while facing a gross misconduct probe.

Mike Veale quit Cleveland Police in 2019 and is now a "well-paid" adviser to Leicestershire PCC Rupert Matthews, the House of Lords heard.

During oral questions earlier, Labour frontbencher Lord Rosser described the situation as a "pretty sick joke".

Peers also asked about a starting date for Mr Veale's misconduct hearing.

Before standing down from Cleveland Police, Mr Veale led a controversial inquiry into sexual allegations against the late prime minister Sir Edward Heath when he was in charge of Wiltshire Police.

Lord Rosser told the chamber: "Mr Veale, the controversial former chief constable of Wiltshire, resigned after 10 months as chief constable of the Cleveland force in January 2019 following gross misconduct allegations.

"The IOPC [Independent Office For Police Conduct] investigated the claim over a two-year period and came to the conclusion that there was, quote, 'sufficient evidence to indicate Mr Veale had breached the standards of professional behaviour' and he should face 'gross misconduct proceedings'.

"Yet he is now carrying out well-paid advisory work for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire."

Lord Rosser continued: "Part of his responsibilities apparently include holding the chief constable of Leicestershire to account at a time when he himself faces an outstanding misconduct hearing.

"You could not make it up. At a time when trust and confidence in the police is not at the level we would wish to see, what action does the Home Secretary intend to take in respect of Mr Veale's case, which is doing nothing, to put it mildly, to restore confidence and trust in our police?

"The whole situation with Mr Veale is a joke and a pretty sick joke at that."

Home Office minister Baroness Williams of Trafford said misconduct proceedings "are ongoing".

"If an independent panel finds a former officer guilty of gross misconduct, it can determine that the officer would have been dismissed had they still been serving.

"If it occurs, the officer will be placed on the College of Policing barred list, preventing them from re-joining policing."

A spokesperson for the Leicestershire PCC said: "Mr Veale's position was reviewed last year, and he remains a consultant to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner."

The Cleveland's PCC's office said in a statement: "A date for Mr Veale's hearing has not been set.

"As this matter is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us comment further."

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