THE investigation which led to a severe reprimand for a high-powered police chief left the taxpayers with a bill for at least £100,000.

The Chief Constable of North Yorkshire, Grahame Maxwell, was issued with a final written warning following the inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

At a disciplinary hearing earlier this year, he admitted gross misconduct in that he helped a relative who was trying for a job during a major force recruitment drive last year.

And although there have since been calls for his resignation, he has resisted them and held on to his post.

Now it has emerged that the IPCC spent just under £100,000 investigating Mr Maxwell and his deputy, Adam Briggs, who faced similar allegations. In December last year, Mr Briggs was found to have breached the code of conduct on two counts and he has since retired from the force.

Figures issued by the commission show it spent approximately £89,500 on staff time and a further £9,800 on travel and legal expenses.

The money was spent on the investigations against both men – with the commission saying it was unable to separate the two.

The figures were obtained by the Tory MP for Skipton and Ripon, Julian Smith, who is now calling on the police authority and the force itself to disclose what additional costs have been accrued because of the inquiry.

“Many people will be concerned at the cost of the investigation,”

he said.

“It is money which could have been saved had the chief constable admitted his guilt earlier rather than at the last minute.”

He said it was important that the public knew how much of their tax money had been spent on such inquiries.

A spokesman for the force said yesterday that extra costs associated with the proceedings would fall to the police authority – which has still to go public with the figures.

However, the authority has confirmed that the full details will be released once they are known.