Police chief goes on special leave while complaints against him are investigated

It is understood the complaint was made by Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, who is one of 13 people in the force executive.

The Herald can also reveal that Mr Gormley’s designated deputy, Iain Livingstone, who has taken temporary charge, is re-assessing his earlier decision to retire, and could continue in the force.

A source said he would feel 'a duty' to continue if Mr Gormley stepped down as chief constable.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) confirmed yesterday it was investigating a new allegation of gross misconduct by the chief constable, in addition to one announced in July.

Both complaints were referred to the organisation following an investigation by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), the oversight body for the force.

Mr Gormley, who denies both allegations, faced calls to temporarily stand aside when the initial complaint was revealed but remained in post until the second accusation emerged.

Mr Gormley, 52, who is mid way through a three year contract said: “I have been notified by the SPA of a complaint made against me. This complaint originates from a member of the Force Executive.

“In the interests of the office of Chief Constable and the broader interests of Police Scotland, I have sought and been granted special leave to enable this matter to be properly assessed.

“I deny and reject the allegations and will co-operate with the SPA’s assessment and procedures. It is my intention to resume my full duties when this matter has been resolved.”

No information was given regarding the nature either of complaint, but if a serious breach of standards is found, Mr Gormley could face dismissal.

The SPA confirmed it had agreed to Mr Gormley’s request for a temporary leave of absence and said this will be kept under review on a four-weekly basis.

Pirc said once each investigation is concluded it will submit a report to the SPA on whether the allegations should be referred to a misconduct hearing.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie called for Mr Gormley to stand aside when the first Pirc investigation was confirmed.

At the time, the SPA ruled that temporarily removing him from his post was ‘’not appropriate’’.

Mr Rennie said: “It has taken too long but Phil Gormley has made the right decision to temporarily stand aside and I commend him on that.

“The investigation needs to be completed effectively and swiftly so that Police Scotland can move on.

“There is a lot to fix in Police Scotland and we need effective leadership to fix it.”

Scottish Labour’s justice spokeswoman Claire Baker said Mr Gormley’s decision “risks further damaging public confidence in Police Scotland”.

She said: “The SNP government must immediately clarify what impact this will have on the already shaky management of Police Scotland.”

Scottish Greens’ justice spokesman John Finnie said the chief constable taking special leave was a “wise move”.

He added: “While unsighted on the specifics, it’s fair to say any workplace complaints present particular challenges, likely to be compounded in this case by issues of rank and location.

“The practice of separating complainer and accused may also have been insurmountable. The chief constable’s decision, at this time, to stand aside during the investigation suggests there may be greater complexity than first reported.”

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said Mr Gormley's decision was the right move, given the damage caused by such an investigation.

Analysis by David Leask: Why the inquiry into bullying might be a sign of a modernising force

THERE is nothing older cops like to do more than declare that policing is not what it used to be.

Tango Juliet Foxtrot, they say, coyly using the phonetic alphabet to avoid swearing. The Job’s Foxtrotted, they add for those who are not quite up to their abbreviations.

This time-served joke has been wheeled out a lot since Police Scotland came into being in 2014.

In all fairness, the problems of the national force are rather similar to those of the eight territorial forces it replaced – not least, bad IT – but under a whole new gaze of media and political scrutiny and a system of governance that many feel has yet to prove itself.

But not everything in policing is Foxtrotted. Some things are better. And, perhaps counterintuitively, the latest alleged scandal involving Police Scotland’s chief is a sign of improvement.

Mr Gormley has taken a leave of absence amid two, or potentially three, investigations into allegations of bullying.

Bluntly, he is accused of losing his rag and shouting at people on his staff, an inspector, a superintendent and an assistant chief constable.

He denies any wrongdoing and an independent process will decide what the facts are.

However, the very fact such allegations can be made against a chief constable at all demonstrates how policing has come over recent years and decades.

Officers serving today openly talk of early days in their careers when verbal abuse was routine and “robust” conversations the norm.

Past chief constables have also had reputations – fairly or otherwise – for barking orders and berating underlings.

Mr Gormley has appeared mild-mannered and diplomatic to those outside the force. He has revelled in the public-facing part of his job. Some insiders complain he left his muchrespected deputy, Iain Livingstone, to do much of the operational heavy-lifting.

Mr Livingstone announced he was to retire earlier this summer.

However, he is understood to be ready to do his duty if Mr Gormley’s tenure is cut short.

Any suggestion of bullying, however, casts a shadow over the force and its efforts to diversify. Mr Gormley’s top team has just one woman. And that is nothing to shout about.