Former South Yorkshire chief constable challenges his 'removal'
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Version 0 of 1. South Yorkshire chief constable David Crompton has begun legal proceedings to challenge his removal from the force by his police and crime commissioner (PCC). Crompton was suspended by PCC Alan Billings in April following a statement the chief constable made the day after the end of the Hillsborough inquests. Last week Billings called for the chief constable’s immediate resignation, saying the statement sought to justify questioning by the force’s legal team at the inquests “which touched on fan behaviour and caused the families distress”. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary described this move as the “forced removal” of the chief constable. The PCC’s decision goes against the advice of the chief inspector of constabulary, Sir Tom Winsor, who told Billings his reasons came “nowhere close to the sort of concerns I would expect to see” for the removal of a chief constable. Lawyers for Crompton said that Billings’ decision to call upon him to resign or retire was “unreasonable and/or irrational and/or disproportionate”, and therefore “unlawful”. He has now served a claim form to the PCC and other interested parties, lawyers acting for the chief constable said on Friday. Billings said he was disappointed at the news and would be seeking legal advice. “I called for Crompton’s resignation on 29 September at the end of the Section 38 process,” he said in a statement. “This followed careful consideration of all the views and correspondence I received, including the police and crime panel’s unanimous recommendation that I should call for the chief constable to resign or retire. “Crompton tendered his resignation the same day.” Crompton’s suspension in April came as South Yorkshire police found itself at the centre of a range of controversies, including the outcome of the Hillsborough inquests, the child sexual exploitation scandal in Rotherham, calls for a new inquiry into the so-called Battle of Orgreave and its investigation into Sir Cliff Richard. Crompton had already said he would retire in November. Billings has appointed Stephen Watson as his successor, who is currently running the force temporarily. |