Police Federation chairman suspended amid investigation
John Apter has also been suspended from duty by Hampshire Constabulary
Last updated 26th Jan 2022
The chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales has been suspended amid an investigation by the police watchdog.
John Apter, who leads the organisation that represents more than 130,000 officers from the rank of constable to chief inspector, has also been suspended from duty by Hampshire Constabulary.
The Police Federation (PFEW) tweeted on Tuesday:
"We have been informed that the National Chair of the Police Federation has been suspended from duty by Hampshire Police whilst an investigation is undertaken.
"As a result he is also currently suspended from his current PFEW role.
"PFEW has acted as swiftly as possible in conjunction with the force.
"The investigation is being undertaken by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
"We are unable to comment on this matter until the investigation has concluded.
"National Vice-Chair Che Donald will be fulfilling all PFEW commitments in this area until further notice."
An IOPC spokesman said:
"We can confirm that, on Friday December 17, we received a referral relating to a police constable from Hampshire Constabulary and we have started an independent investigation.
"On Monday December 20, the officer was served with a notice of investigation for potential breaches of police professional standards relating to four separate alleged incidents."
Mr Apter has been unavailable for comment.