Heath witch hunt chief quits PCC role amid misconduct allegations
THE police chief who led the “witch hunt” investigation into Edward Heath has resigned from a new role which he secured despite an ongoing gross misconduct inquiry.
Mike Veale, the former chief constable of Cleveland Police, stepped down as the chief executive officer of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland two months after being appointed.
He is accused of breaching “standards of professional behaviour” during his time with Cleveland Police and is due to face a misconduct hearing. The emergence of the allegations prompted his resignation as the head of the force in 2019, serving just 10 months.
Mr Veale was previously responsible for launching Wiltshire Police’s controversial £1.2million sex abuse investigation against the late former prime minister. The two-year investigation found no evidence against Heath while Carl Beech, his chief accuser, turned out to be a serial paedophile and fantasist. Beech was later jailed.
Mr Veale’s appointment in the PCC’S office caused uproar last month, with the area’s former PCC, Lord Bach, saying he was “astonished” and describing the “anger” it had caused.
On Mr Veale’s decision to resign, Rupert Matthews, the incumbent PCC for the region, told the BBC: “In light of the continued negative media coverage regarding his, albeit temporary, appointment, he felt that this move was in the best interests of my office. It’s disappointing but I understand his position. I said in December that I would recruit to the substantive post in the new year, so little has actually changed.”
Mr Veale resigned as chief constable after “serious allegations” were made about his behaviour. In August 2020, the Independent Office for Police Conduct found “sufficient evidence” that Mr Veale had “breached the standards of professional behaviour”. The IOPC findings were provided to the force and its local police and crime commissioner, who is in charge of bringing about a future misconduct hearing.
A spokesman for the office of the police and crime commissioner for Cleveland told the BBC: “A date for Mr Veale’s hearing has not yet been set. As this matter is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”