Cleveland Police standards boss will still face charges

Supt Bev Gill is charged with gross misconduct but denies the claims

A police force's head of professional standards who is accused of meddling in investigations involving friends will still face gross misconduct charges, it has been announced.

A panel hearing the case of Supt Bev Gill, of Cleveland Police, has granted a three-month adjournment to allow the force more time to examine evidence.

The force had said it would not be able to proceed with the case if the adjournment was not agreed to.

Supt Gill denies the charges.

She is accused of tipping off Det Insp Simon Hurwood about allegations of a sexual nature made against him.

Mr Hurwood was arrested in 2018 and was facing a disciplinary hearing regarding his behaviour towards 21 women when he quit his job.

He denied any wrongdoing but was later found to have committed gross misconduct and banned from serving as a police officer.

Supt Gill is also accused of unnecessarily getting involved in an investigation about a senior officer who lied about injuries he suffered at the hands of a love rival.

The hearing was last week told the force had applied for the adjournment in order to assess new information that had come to light as a result of employment tribunal evidence.

The panel has now agreed to grant it, saying it was in the public interest for the case to go ahead.