Police chief denies theft claims

A Sussex police chief accused of deception and theft offences against his own force has denied the charges.

Det Ch Insp Peter John Salkeld, 41, of Shoreham, West Sussex, is accused of using a police credit card to pay for goods and deceiving his employer.

It is also alleged he deceived a woman over a house sale and stole from her.

He was suspended from his job in the police operations department at Gatwick Airport last January. The case was adjourned to 27 April.

Mr Salkeld, of The Avenue, was given conditional bail, during the hearing at Maidstone Crown Court.

He is charged with 18 offences - eight of theft, nine of obtaining property by deception, and one of obtaining a money transfer by deception - between May 1997 and July 2006.

Care claims

It is alleged he used a Sussex Police credit card to purchase goods, including padlocks, a mini-fridge, a watch, a DVD player, compact discs and road atlases, from high street stores.

He is accused of deceiving the Sussex force by claiming more than £1,200 from the Sussex Police Welfare Fund to pay for caravan equipment.

Theft charges include offences relating to an expensive fountain pen, and dry cleaning and car valet service costs.

It is also alleged he deceived Eileen Savage, of Hove, over whom he had power of attorney, by falsely representing that the £55,000 sale price for her home was fair.

Mr Salkeld is also charged with stealing more than £84,000 from her.

He is also accused of obtaining more than £70,000 from Brighton and Hove City Council by falsely claiming she had insufficient capital assets to pay for her care.