Hotels, travel, meals and drinks - the cost to the public of the misconduct hearing against former Cleveland Police Chief Constable Mike Veale

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) requested details of the bill from the office of Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Steve Turner, which brought the case against Mr Veale.

The legal representation in the hearing alone amounted to £22,716.

The ex-police chief, who spent 10 months as the head of the force before quitting in January 2019, was said to have told a female colleague to “touch yourself now” as the pair sat in a car together.

In another incident, he was alleged to have referred while laughing to the same female officer and a male senior officer as “bedfellows”.

An independent panel appointed to oversee matters decided they amounted to gross misconduct.

The costs of the case were met from the PCC’s own budget with Mr Turner admitting it was something he “would rather not incur”.

A Freedom of Information request by the LDRS revealed that room hire for the three-day hearing cost £3,800 with the PCC’s office subsequently stating that this included a main hearing room, a room for the independent panel, a room for each party’s legal support and a witness room.

The costs incurred by the three-member independent panel, which considered the evidence, amounted to £5,538.

This included accommodation, travel expenses and a budget for meals and drinks.

The overall cost of the hearing was £32,054.

Mr Turner said: “Whilst these are costs I would rather not incur, a price cannot be placed on upholding high behavioural standards in policing and removing those proved to have committed gross misconduct.”