Northumbria Police employee asked to 'kill' affair story

The former Head of Communications at Northumbria Police told a tribunal she was expected to "kill" the story about an alleged affair between two highranking officers.

Maureen Berne said she was not convinced that nothing at all had happened former Chief Constable Mike Craik and assistant Chief Constable Carolyn Peacock.

Mrs Berne was speaking at an employment tribunal brought by the former head of legal services at the force Denise Aubrey.

Ms Aubrey, 54, was sacked for gross misconduct in 2014 after she allegedlydisclosed information about the affair between the two high rankingofficers.

She has denied this and instead taken the force to a tribunal, accusing herformer bosses of "unfair dismissal following a protected disclosure, sexdiscrimination, disability discrimination, victimisation and harassment".

Ms Berne said she was called to a meeting with Mr Craik and Ms Aubrey where the former Chief Constable explained how the rumours were false.

She told the employment tribunal at North Shields, North Tyneside: "I wastold to try and kill the story with the media.

"Given the extent of the rumours circulating in the force I was personallynot convinced that nothing at all had happened as Mr Craik asserted but Ifollowed the instructions given to me by him."

Ms Berne told the tribunal how she was told to advise the media aboutdefamation and how she was "forced out" of Northumbria Police in 2015.

"Indeed the whole situation was completed within nine days which gave meand my family little time to consider all the legal options."

"The situation...caused me and my family a significantamount of stress which we are still dealing with today."