Ex-Cleveland Police chief constable guilty of gross misconduct after making 'sexual comments'

A former chief constable has been found guilty of gross misconduct after making sexualised comments towards a coworker.

Mike Veale, who quit as chief constable at Cleveland Police when the allegations surfaced in January 2019, was found to have made an unwanted sexual comment while alone in the car with a female colleague.

He also made comments about two senior colleagues while at a lunch with the Chief Constable of Norfolk, saying they were ‘bedfellows, metaphorically or otherwise’

A disciplinary hearing has been held in public in Middlesbrough this week, to determine on the claims. The witnesses’ identity has been protected. 

Panel chair Sara Fenoughty said to Mr Veale: “We heard your submissions… and we preferred the evidence of witnesses B and C. We find the allegations to be proven.”

Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner may now decide to impose sanctions which could bar Mr Veale from serving with any other police force for at least five years. 

Mr Veale had denied he had meant anything untoward with his comments and said he had made unpopular decisions when he took over the helm of a "force in crisis" in January, 2018.

He said his difficult decisions had left a "wide variety" of people very "disgruntled".

He told the panel he had to make the changes because the force had let down the people of Cleveland for "years and years".

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