IT has emerged that Angus Macpherson, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, has contacted the Independent Police Complaints Commission in response to its investigation into former Wiltshire chief constable Pat Geenty.

However Mr Macpherson has refused to say anything more about the issue. 

The deadline for a decision on any action against Mr Geenty has now passed, after a two-week extension was granted by the IPCC for the Commissioner to sift through the findings of their investigation.

Following the nine-month probe into allegations over the handling of sexual abuse allegations in 2008 and 2009, the IPCC found a case for potential misconduct last month in respect of Mr Geenty.

As no grounds for a gross misconduct hearing were found, he was permitted to take his retirement on June 28, having delayed his last day at the force twice since he announced his intention to stand down, in February.

Two other officers — an inspector and a detective constable — who had also been under investigation, have had their suspensions lifted.

A statement from Mr Macpherson's office today (July 30) said: "The Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, Angus Macpherson, has written to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in response to its investigation into the former Chief Constable of Wiltshire Pat Geenty.

"The Commissioner does not intend to say any more at this stage."

A140-page report from the Independent Police Complaints Commission into the way the force handled complaints relating to sexual abuse allegations in 2008 and 2009 was delivered to Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson on June 26.

He was asked to make a decision into any disciplinary action a fortnight ago, but requested a two-week extension given the volume of evidence provided by the IPCC, which was granted, extending the deadline to yesterday.

A spokesman for the IPCC said: “The IPCC investigated the way all three officers dealt with complaints lodged in 2008 and 2009.

“Under police complaints procedure, it is now a matter for Mr Macpherson and the force respectively to respond with a decision on what action they propose to take as a result of our findings.”

As the IPCC did not find a case for gross misconduct, Mr Geenty would not have been subject to an official hearing. New regulations came into force following his announcement to retire, prohibiting any officer under investigation from stepping down unless for exceptional circumstances or medical reasons.

Given the date of his announcement, the regulations did not apply to Mr Geenty, and Mr Macpherson said there would be no ‘legal basis’ to force him to continue with the force.

Mr Macpherson said: “The IPCC investigation has identified that Mr Geenty has a potential case to answer for misconduct.

“As Appropriate Authority for the other two officers involved - one of whom had been suspended from post and one of whom had been suspended from the organisation — Chief Constable Mike Veale, in line with complaints procedure and in light of the IPCC finding of potential misconduct for both officers, has carried out a suspension review.

“As a result of this formal review, the suspensions of both officers have been lifted.”