A gross misconduct hearing for former Hampshire and Isle of Wight Chief Constable Scott Chilton will begin in October, more than a year after he retired from the force while under investigation for sexual relationships with staff and abusing his position.
The proceedings follow an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation, which concluded in late 2025 and found Mr Chilton has a case to answer for gross misconduct.
The allegations include failing to disclose a previous sexual relationship with a serving officer during his application to become Chief Constable, having sex with an officer while on duty, abusing his position for a sexual purpose while serving as Chief Constable and dishonestly denying the relationships to senior figures and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
As previously reported by Island Echo, Mr Chilton was confirmed as Chief Constable of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary in November 2022, having previously served as Chief Constable of Dorset Police.
He retired from the force in April 2025 and shortly after it was announced he was under investigation for potential gross misconduct. At the time, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed his retirement did not prevent misconduct proceedings from continuing.
The outcome of the IOPC investigation led to the decision that the allegations should be considered at a gross misconduct hearing, where an independent panel will determine whether misconduct is proven and, if so, what sanction would have been appropriate had Mr Chilton still been serving.
The hearing is expected to begin on 5th October and could last several days.
