A former police chief has been charged with fraud and misconduct in public office after being accused of lying about his military service.
Nick Adderley, the former chief constable of Northamptonshire Police, allegedly made false claims during his application to join the force, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.
The Crown Prosecution Service added that Adderley is also alleged to have lied about his educational achievements.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS’s Special Crime Division, said: “We have decided to prosecute former Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley with offences of fraud and misconduct in public office.
“This follows an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into claims made by Mr Adderley in reference to his military service and educational attainments.
“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.
“We have worked closely with the Independent Office for Police Conduct as they carried out their investigation.”
Adderley will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 10.
The IOPC said the 59-year-old is alleged to have falsely claimed he was a former Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy and had served in the Falklands War.
The police watchdog said he is also accused of claiming he was entitled to wear associated service medals.
Adderley is alleged to have committed the offences between 2018 and 2024 – allegedly making the claims on his CV during his bid to become Northamptonshire Police’s chief constable in June 2018.
If convicted of fraud, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
The former police chief was dismissed from the force without notice in June, with his misconduct hearing being told he wore a South Atlantic Medal (SAM), awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands conflict.
The hearing also heard Adderley claimed on his CV and application form when applying to become chief constable that he had been in the Royal Navy for 10 years when he had served for only two.
His tribunal was told he lied about attending the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College for four years and had been a military negotiator in Haiti despite never visiting the country.
