Ex- South Yorkshire PCC to be investigated over perjury claims

Shaun Wright was the police and crime commissioner for South Yorkshire between 2012 and 2014

South Yorkshire's former police and crime commissioner (PCC) is to be investigated for perjury, the police watchdog has said.

Shaun Wright has been accused of "deliberately misleading" a select committee hearing evidence about the Rotherham child abuse scandal.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it would conduct a full investigation into the claims.

The BBC has been unable to trace Mr Wright for a comment.

Mr Wright, was the head of children's services in Rotherham between 2005 and 2010. He resigned from his role as PCC in 2014.

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A spokesman for the IPCC said it would "carry out an independent investigation into whether former South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Shaun Wright, may have committed perjury when giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee in 2014."

The watchdog did not initially investigate the claims in 2015 due to a "misunderstanding" over whether an alleged offence of misleading a select committee would constitute contempt of Parliament rather than a criminal offence.

But in 2016, the Home Affairs Select Committee said it had received two complaints that Mr Wright deliberately misled the committee while giving evidence under oath, and had referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police.

The IPCC spokesperson said that, following correspondence with the force, it had reviewed the law and now believes the matter is within its remit.

A 2014 report found 1,400 children in Rotherham were abused between 1997 and 2013.