Nick Adderley: Misconduct hearing postponed until May

Mr Adderley hearing will now take place over three days in May

A misconduct hearing into allegations Northamptonshire's chief constable misrepresented his military service has been postponed at the 11th hour.

Nick Adderley was due to appear before a panel on Wednesday.

Its chairman, Callum Cowx, said the postponement was because insufficient time had been allocated to properly hear the case.

The hearing will now take place over three days starting on 28 May.

The proceedings against Mr Adderley followed an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

He was accused of wearing a Falklands War medal he did not earn and falsely stating he was a Royal Navy officer.

Mr Cowx, himself a former Royal Navy officer, said he had made the decision to hold the hearing in private following representations.

This was challenged by the BBC and other media outlets.

In a statement, he said: "Following a case management meeting today the legally qualified chair has taken the decision to adjourn the accelerated misconduct hearing for Chief Constable Adderley."

He continued: "It was decided that there was insufficient time to properly hear the case in a single day and so it will be relisted for a three-day hearing."

Suspension

Mr Adderley's disciplinary process was accelerated after the IOPC produced a report which concluded there was a case to answer for gross misconduct.

The police watchdog has also been conducting a criminal investigation and said it would then make a decision whether to refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider if crimes had been committed.

Mr Adderley was suspended following the allegations made against him and Ivan Balhatchet is currently the acting Northamptonshire chief constable.

In a statement last year, Mr Adderley said he had always worn his own medals alongside two medals his brothers gave him to wear when one became critically ill and one moved overseas.

In December, the BBC reported how he had claimed to be a Royal Navy officer despite never achieving that rank.

He served in the Royal Navy for less than two years after starting training as a rating - the most junior class of seaman - in 1984.

It is understood he left because he was not suited for life in the service, despite a confirmation panel for his police job being told he spent 10 years in the navy.

The Sun newspaper previously revealed that Mr Adderley had worn a Falklands War campaign medal despite him being 15 years old when the conflict took place.