North Yorkshire police bosses inquiry cost £200,000

Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell has faced calls for his resignation since he admitted misconduct

Figures show it cost taxpayers in North Yorkshire more than £200,000 to investigate claims of gross misconduct against its chief constable and deputy.

Grahame Maxwell received a final written warning after helping a relative in a recruitment drive.

The county's police authority figures show it spent £218,456 on the inquiry, which comes on top of the £100,000 spent by the police watchdog.

Mr Maxwell said he was the "right person to lead the force".

Speaking publicly for the first time about what happened to BBC Look North, Mr Maxwell said it had been a "traumatic period" in his life.

"It's a period which thankfully has come to an end and realistically it's one of those things that it's time to be put behind me and for me to move on and do the job I love, which is being chief constable of North Yorkshire Police."

The investigation earlier this year found that Mr Maxwell helped a relative gain unfair advantage in a police recruitment drive for 60 jobs.

He also admitted assisting a member of his extended family and a relative of his deputy, Adam Briggs.

Mr Briggs was found at a hearing in December to have helped a relative get a job during the recruitment exercise when he received "management advice". He has since retired.

Last month the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) revealed the cost of its investigation, with £90,000 spent on staff time and £10,000 on legal costs.

Now North Yorkshire Police Authority has revealed its costs.

Julian Smith, the Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, said: "Had the chief constable admitted his guilt late last year, instead of at the very last minute, hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money could have been saved on legal costs.

"It is deeply regrettable that during challenging financial times, the actions of the county's leading police officer should have cost the police authority so much.

"These figures are a further illustration of why Mr Maxwell no longer has the confidence of many of his officers or communities in North Yorkshire."