Commissioner asks how lying Northamptonshire police chief got job

Northamptonshire’s police, fire and crime commissioner has said she does not understand how the county’s disgraced former chief constable got his job in the first place.

A disciplinary panel decided that Nick Adderley had lied about his naval rank, length of service and achievements.

He has been dismissed from his post and placed on the barred police list.

Danielle Stone, who became the commissioner after Mr Adderley was suspended, said she would make sure future candidates for top jobs were properly checked.

Labour’s Ms Stone was elected to the post of police, fire and crime commissioner in May, seven months after Mr Adderley was suspended on full pay.

It emerged that he had lied when applying for the post of chief constable, claiming to have served in the navy for a decade and risen to the rank of lieutenant – both of which were untrue.

He was dismissed after a five-day disciplinary hearing.

Ms Stone said: “I don’t understand how anyone reading his CV allowed him in.

“It won’t happen on my watch – I shall read every CV, I can assure you.”

She added that Mr Adderley did not need to lie.

“He had an extraordinary career, he came from nothing and ended up as a chief constable. He was really well thought of by his colleagues – I can’t understand why he did what he did,” she said.

Sam Dobbs, who chairs the Northamptonshire branch of the Police Federation, said: “There is never a place in policing for lies when our whole raison d’être is based on the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

“Today, we have lost a police officer, but that has to be balanced against maintaining the trust and confidence of the public.”