A misconduct hearing which heard allegations against former Cleveland Police chief constable Mike Veale cost more than £30,000 in public funds.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) requested details of the bill from the office of Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner, which brought the case against Mr Veale.

The legal representation required in the hearing was the biggest cost, amounting to £22,716.

Read more: Ex-Cleveland Police chief barred after misconduct hearing

The Northern Echo:

The ex-police chief, who spent ten months as the head of the Cleveland force before quitting in January 2019, was said to have told a female colleague to “touch yourself now” as the pair sat in a car together.

In another incident, he was alleged to have referred to the same female officer and a male senior officer as “bedfellows”, laughing as he made the remark.

Counsel for Mr Veale, a former chief constable at Wiltshire Police, argued that there was a dearth of evidence to support the allegations, which were aired at a hearing held at Middlesbrough’s Leonardo Hotel, and they also lacked any corroboration.

But an independent panel appointed to oversee matters decided they amounted to gross misconduct, something agreed by Mr Turner.

The Conservative PCC said this meant Mr Veale, also a former advisor to the Leicestershire Police and Crime Commssioner before resigning that role, would have been dismissed were he still in post, while he was added to a list barring him from taking another police job.

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The costs of the case were met from the PCC’s own budget with Mr Turner admitting it was something he “would rather not incur”.

A Freedom of Information request by the LDRS revealed that room hire for the three day hearing cost £3,800 with the PCC’s office subsequently stating that this included a main hearing room, a room for the independent panel, a room for each party’s legal support and a witness room.

Meanwhile the costs incurred by the three-member independent panel, which considered the evidence, amounted to £5,538.

This included accommodation, travel expenses and a budget for meals and drinks.

The overall cost of the hearing with all elements included was £32,054.

Separately, 94 hours of OPCC staff time were committed to the process, which included administratively supporting the hearing, recruiting the panel, sourcing a venue and collating relevant papers.

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Mr Turner said: “Due to the serious nature of the allegations facing Mr Veale, it was appropriate that they be heard in a public hearing with an independent panel.

“Proceedings of this nature do not come without a cost, including for legal support.

“Whilst these are costs I would rather not incur, a price cannot be placed on upholding high behavioural standards in policing and removing those proved to have committed gross misconduct.”

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After the outcome in July was revealed, Mr Turner acknowledged that the investigation into Mr Veale’s conduct and subsequent proceedings had taken “longer than anticipated, and longer than anyone would have wanted, to come to a resolution”.

The saga saw criticism of Mr Veale and the authorities being aired in the House of Lords with Mr Turner also admitting he was eager to get the matters off his desk.