Police authority 'lax cash' claim

10 February 2012 Last updated at 02:35 GMT Mr Briggs did not explain how the money he was given was spent A former senior police officer billed a police authority thousands of pounds for personal training despite already getting a personal training allowance.

The former Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Adam Briggs was given a total of £31,647.06 over three years to pay for development and medical cover.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said the lack of control by the authority was "unacceptable".

North Yorkshire Police Authority said it had acted responsibly.

Mr Briggs has been unavailable for comment.

A report issued by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has concluded "that it was unacceptable for North Yorkshire Police Authority to give an officer more than £30,000 without any means for auditing how that money was spent".

'Additional payment'

The IPCC conducted an independent investigation into financial claims for development training made by Adam Briggs while he was Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police.

The investigation found that Mr Briggs had been awarded a contract when he joined the force as deputy chief constable in June 2007 which, in addition to his salary, included a non-pensionable payment of £10,000 per annum.

This payment was to cover the cost of private medical insurance and personal development training.

In total Mr Briggs received £31,647.06 during his time with the force.

In November 2007 Mr Briggs agreed a 24-month contract for personal development training with a company called Enabling Developments.

The report states: "He claimed the cost of this contract - £11,750 including VAT - from North Yorkshire Police despite already being in receipt of the £10,000 per annum allowance."

'Utterly unacceptable'

IPCC Commissioner Nicholas Long said: "The police authority's remit is to scrutinise the expenditure of a police force and hold the senior officers to account.

"It is utterly unacceptable therefore that more than £30,000 of public funds can be handed to an officer without any means to audit how that money is used.

"Although the police authority stipulated what the money was to be used for, they did not check, and even gave Mr Briggs some discretion on how he spent it within the set parameters.

"Although Mr Briggs has retired one would think he would want to take an opportunity to explain what he did with the money and why he claimed a further £11,750 from the public purse.

"I find his decision not to assist our investigation or answer our questions disappointing.

"Nobody knows what the money has been spent on.

"It may well have been used entirely legitimately but Mr Briggs, who while holding a senior public office should have been acting in a financially responsible way, which was open, transparent and auditable, has chosen not to tell us."

In a statement North Yorkshire Police Authority said it agreed the arrangement may not have operated "as we would have wished" but considered the IPCC view of "unacceptable" as being a disproportionate response.