Police bosses defend chief's exit

Terry Grange had been chief constable for seven years

Dyfed-Powys Police Authority has defended its decision to allow former chief constable Terry Grange to retire amid an inquiry into his conduct.

It said allegations of computer misuse and financial irregularities raised questions about his judgement, but it was not appropriate to suspend him.

The authority said it acted to maintain public confidence in the force.

But critics claim Mr Grange, 58, had been allowed to walk away from some of the allegations made against him.

After Mr Grange stepped down on Monday, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) confirmed it was investigating allegations of potentially criminal financial irregularities.

However, his retirement meant the IPCC had to drop inquires into separate allegations that he had misused police computers, because they were not potentially criminal.

He could have been suspended and this was an option but it was felt to be in the public interest that he should go immediately Alasdair Kenwright, police authority

The police authority has confirmed those allegations related to claims Mr Grange sent "private emails concerning a personal relationship".

Some politicians have claimed no other force member would have been allowed to walk away from such allegations.

Following a meeting at the Carmarthen headquarters on Thursday, authority chairman Alasdair Kenwright said: "The nature of the allegations were such that they required immediate attention.

"A meeting of the emergency committee had already been convened to deal with other matters and it was appropriate to bring this matter before it.

"As an officer with 36 years of service he has the right to retire.

"The committee considered there were issues in front of them that raised issues about Mr Grange's judgement and it was important to maintain the confidence of the authority, the force and our communities and therefore decided it was in the public interest that his offer to retire should be accepted."

Transparency

"He could have been suspended and this was an option open to the committee but it was felt to be in the public interest that he should go immediately," Mr Kenwright added.

"I am fully confident, and all my members are, that the due process was followed and we took the right decision."

The claim of financial irregularities against Mr Grange is still being examined by the IPCC.

If there is enough evidence, a file could be submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Several politicians have voiced concern about the circumstances of his departure, with calls for the investigation to be carried out with transparency.

Mr Grange became the Dyfed-Powys chief constable in 2000.

As a member of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), Mr Grange held the organisation's personal crime portfolio and was its spokesman on child protection issues.

In that role he gave evidence to MPs on their inquiries into police investigations of institutional child abuse.

He was also known for his tough line on illicit drugs.