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| Clawback move over Dyfed-Powys Police retention bonuses | Clawback move over Dyfed-Powys Police retention bonuses |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Dyfed-Powys' police and crime commissioner is trying to claw back thousands of pounds paid out to high level staff for staying in their jobs. | Dyfed-Powys' police and crime commissioner is trying to claw back thousands of pounds paid out to high level staff for staying in their jobs. |
| Christopher Salmon says £150,000 in retention bonuses was awarded to five chief officers between 2009 and 2012. | Christopher Salmon says £150,000 in retention bonuses was awarded to five chief officers between 2009 and 2012. |
| No other police force in Wales awarded this type of incentive. | No other police force in Wales awarded this type of incentive. |
| Lawyers acting for those involved say all of the payments were made and received in good faith. | Lawyers acting for those involved say all of the payments were made and received in good faith. |
| Officers' salaries are set in law but there are certain perks that can be offered to attract top candidates to the force. | Officers' salaries are set in law but there are certain perks that can be offered to attract top candidates to the force. |
| This includes money to relocate to a force area, private health insurance, and payments known as "retention bonuses", which require a worker to stay in a job for a year. | This includes money to relocate to a force area, private health insurance, and payments known as "retention bonuses", which require a worker to stay in a job for a year. |
| 'Guardian' | 'Guardian' |
| Dyfed Powys is the only force in Wales which offered retention bonuses. | |
| Since 2009, former chief constable Ian Arundale and temporary chief constable Jackie Roberts - along with three other officers, including the head of finance, were all paid £10,000 a year to agree not to leave. | Since 2009, former chief constable Ian Arundale and temporary chief constable Jackie Roberts - along with three other officers, including the head of finance, were all paid £10,000 a year to agree not to leave. |
| There was also money for private health insurance. In total the 'extras' amounted to £160,000 pounds over three years in addition to their salaries. | There was also money for private health insurance. In total the 'extras' amounted to £160,000 pounds over three years in addition to their salaries. |
| Dyfed-Powys police and crime commissioner Christopher Salmon says he has now scrapped the perks but wants to go further. | Dyfed-Powys police and crime commissioner Christopher Salmon says he has now scrapped the perks but wants to go further. |
| "Payments that were made to chief officers, which on legal advice that we've currently received appear not to have been lawful," Mr Salmon said. | "Payments that were made to chief officers, which on legal advice that we've currently received appear not to have been lawful," Mr Salmon said. |
| "There's no suggestion that anybody has made or received these payments in bad faith, but as a police and crime commissioner I have a duty to the public to be a guardian of public money and we're taking legal advice on seeking to recover that." | "There's no suggestion that anybody has made or received these payments in bad faith, but as a police and crime commissioner I have a duty to the public to be a guardian of public money and we're taking legal advice on seeking to recover that." |
| Investigations ongoing | Investigations ongoing |
| Chief Constable Ian Arundale, who moved from West Mercia to Carmarthenshire when he got the job in 2008, told BBC Wales Dyfed-Powys was one of the lowest paid forces in the UK - with a top salary of £130,000. | Chief Constable Ian Arundale, who moved from West Mercia to Carmarthenshire when he got the job in 2008, told BBC Wales Dyfed-Powys was one of the lowest paid forces in the UK - with a top salary of £130,000. |
| Without these extra incentives it would have been hard for the police authority to attract people to the job, he said. | Without these extra incentives it would have been hard for the police authority to attract people to the job, he said. |
| But Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards, doesn't agree with that view, after learning that Wales' three other police forces do not pay the same level of extras. | But Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards, doesn't agree with that view, after learning that Wales' three other police forces do not pay the same level of extras. |
| "What we should be looking at is, in areas such as west Wales the average wage is £20,000 mark so I don't buy this argument that we have to pay public officials in our part of Wales far more than the British state in order to attract the best talent." he said. | "What we should be looking at is, in areas such as west Wales the average wage is £20,000 mark so I don't buy this argument that we have to pay public officials in our part of Wales far more than the British state in order to attract the best talent." he said. |
| Will Burrows, the solicitor representing the five chief officers, said there was no question of bad faith or wrongdoing by any of those involved. | Will Burrows, the solicitor representing the five chief officers, said there was no question of bad faith or wrongdoing by any of those involved. |
| He said the matter was the hands of the relevant statutory bodies in order to try to achieve a resolution to the issue. | He said the matter was the hands of the relevant statutory bodies in order to try to achieve a resolution to the issue. |