Chief constable quits over ‘affair’ with junior officer
07 April 2025 6:14pm BST
The chief constable of Hampshire police has quit the force weeks after it emerged he was under investigation for a past relationship with a junior officer.
Scott Chilton, who led more than 5,600 police officers, staff and PCSOs in his county, has retired from the force after 33 years with immediate effect.
His departure comes amid the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) serving him notice he is under a new investigation into alleged gross misconduct.
The investigation was triggered after a former senior detective levelled an accusation of an “affair” during a recent misconduct hearing.
It is understood Mr Chilton was a senior officer when the woman involved was a sergeant at the time.
An internal email – seen by the Southampton Daily Echo – has confirmed Mr Chilton, a former counter-terror officer, retired on Monday with immediate effect.
Donna Jones, the police and crime commissioner (PCC), said: “The chief constable has retired after 33 years of service. The IOPC investigation will continue notwithstanding his retirement. As commissioner, I will now start the process to recruit a new chief constable.”
Sam de Reya, Mr Chiltern’s deputy, will replace him as interim chief.
Derrick Campbell, the IOPC director, said: “This morning, we notified the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s chief constable, Scott Chilton, that he is under investigation for potential gross misconduct.
“This follows indications that he may have potentially breached police standards of professional behaviour relating to honesty and integrity; duties and responsibilities; discreditable conduct; and orders and instructions.”
‘Conflict of interest’
He said the investigation “involves allegations that he failed to disclose a conflict of interest relating to a workplace relationship before he was chief constable” and the inquiry began following a conduct referral from the Hampshire PCC on Feb 27.
“It was widened to include a further allegation, involving failing to disclose a conflict of interest relating to a further workplace relationship after becoming chief constable, following a second conduct referral from the PCC’s office on March 31,” he added.
“We understand that the chief constable has today retired from the force with immediate effect. This will not impact our investigation, which remains ongoing. The serving of a gross misconduct notice does not mean that disciplinary proceedings will necessarily follow.
“At the end of our investigation, we will decide whether Mr Chilton should face disciplinary proceedings. No criminal offences have currently been identified.”
In a message sent out to officers and staff two weeks ago, the chief constable said he would continue to serve while under investigation, adding that it “has had a personal impact on myself, my family, and my friends, but I have the full support of our police and crime commissioner, as well as colleagues in the force and my family”.
Mr Chilton, a former detective who joined the police at age 18, started in the top job in February 2023, having transferred back to Hampshire after serving as chief constable in Dorset, a job he started in August 2021.