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# Staffordshire Commissioner sheds more light on suspension of Chief Constable
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/staffordshire-commissioner-sheds-more-light-on-suspension-of-chief-constable/
- Published: 2025-09-24T06:03:00.000Z
- Updated: 2025-09-23T19:26:06.000Z
- Description: The Staffordshire Commissioner has shed more light on his decision to suspend the county’s Chief Constable.
- Author: Phil Corrigan, Local Democracy Reporter
- Tags: #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:45, News

THE Staffordshire Commissioner has shed more light on his decision to suspend the county’s Chief Constable.

The decision was taken in August after allegations were made about his behaviour outside of work before his time with Staffordshire Police.

Ben Adams told the Police, Fire and Crime Panel more about how the decision was taken.

The commissioner said that he received information from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) relating to Mr Noble and the alleged sharing of confidential information regarding an employment matter in 2018.

He subsequently made a referral to the IOPC, but decided at that point that “the conduct matters did not reach the threshold for suspension”. The matter remains under investigation by the IOPC.

But in April of this year, the a further complaint alleged conduct matters against Mr Noble “of a more serious nature” – and the Staffordshire Commissioner made a further referral to the IOPC and established that the allegations were “of a higher level of severity” and met the threshold for suspension.

The Chief Police Officer’s Staff Association, which is representing Mr Noble, has said that he “completely and categorically denies any wrongdoing”.

Commissioner Adams said told the panel:

> “There’s nothing more I can share with the panel about the matter. It is still being investigated by the independent body.  
>  
> “By way of reassurance, the team at the top of Staffordshire Police who have stepped up while the Chief Constable is suspended are doing a fine job and everybody is focused on continuing to deliver to the current plan – and particularly to prepare for the suspension report in the spring.  
>  
> “As soon as I can share more information I will do. I won’t wait for the next meeting.”

Deputy Chief Constable Becky Riggs is currently serving as acting Chief Constable, while options to identify a temporary appointee to the position are considered.

In response to a question from a member of the public, the commissioner defended his decision last August to extend Mr Noble’s employment contract by two years – a move taken prior to the initial contact from the IOPC in October.

He said:

> “I was actually very confident in what Chris Noble was doing, the way he was performing and the way the service was progressing – which was demonstrable by the improved responses from the public and the inspectorate.  
>  
> “So it was a reasonably straightforward decision to extend his contract. I was happy to do that.”