Former Hampshire Police Chief Constable Accused of Misconduct in Relationships with Junior Officers

A misconduct hearing has been held regarding Scott Chilton, the former chief constable of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, who is accused of having affairs with two junior officers and pressuring one to delete messages. The hearing revealed that Chilton, 52, was a married superintendent when he allegedly began a relationship with the first officer, a sergeant, with some sexual activity reportedly occurring while he was on duty. He later ended this relationship at her police station. The second relationship began shortly after he became chief constable in February 2023. Chilton is accused of pressuring this officer to delete text messages when he feared their affair would be exposed. During the hearing, lawyers for the Police and Crime Commissioner accused him of dishonesty regarding the first affair, which he denies. Chilton retired in April 2025 after the allegations surfaced. He admitted to one of the relationships but disputes the existence of the second. The hearing continued in his absence due to reported medical issues. The allegations against him include failing to disclose the first relationship and attempting to avoid a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. One of the officers involved stated that their affair was consensual and included sexual activity. Chilton acknowledged that his failure to disclose the relationship did not meet the standards expected of police officers and expressed regret for the impact on his family and the police force.