The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has concluded its criminal investigation into former Northamptonshire Chief Constable Nick Adderley and alleged fraudulent activity linked to Staffordshire Police, finding no case to answer.

The inquiry focused on alleged criminal behaviour involving the maintenance of police vehicles during Adderley’s previous tenure as Assistant Chief Constable at Staffordshire Police. However, the IOPC has now confirmed that its investigation found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing, and no further action will be taken.

The development comes months after Adderley was dismissed from Northamptonshire Police following a high-profile misconduct hearing in June 2024, which revealed he had lied about his military background, falsely claiming to have served in the Falklands conflict and attended the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.

The IOPC had initially referred evidence from its investigation to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in April last year. That process ran in parallel with disciplinary proceedings which ultimately led to Adderley’s dismissal.

While the CPS opted not to pursue charges, the IOPC’s investigation into possible fraud-related offences — involving another serving officer at Staffordshire Police — also concluded without further findings.

A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said:

“A criminal and gross misconduct investigation by Staffordshire Police into one serving and one now former police officer concerning alleged fraud linked to the maintenance of police vehicles concluded in December (2024). It has been decided that the former officer has no case to answer. The investigation, carried out under the direction of the IOPC, also found no indication of criminality on the part of the still serving officer.
“Two former Staffordshire Police staff members and two members of the public were arrested in June 2023 as part of the same inquiries by the police force. The IOPC is now no longer directing the investigation which is ongoing and being carried out locally by the force.”

Adderley, who took up his post as Chief Constable in Northamptonshire in 2018, faced mounting pressure following revelations about his falsified CV, which included inflated claims of military service and education credentials that were relied upon during his appointment.

Although cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in the Staffordshire probe, Adderley’s career has been permanently overshadowed by the misconduct scandal that led to his removal from office.

The second officer involved in the IOPC investigation has not been named, and no disciplinary proceedings are expected to follow.