THE conduct of Lancashire’s top officer, Chief Constable Steve Finnigan is to be independently investigated by the head of another force.

The Lancashire Telegraph understands the complaint against the Chief Constable is based on his position as head of the force, rather than any particular incident, plus a claim that he did not respond to the complainant’s letters.

It is also understood that the Lancashire Police Authority has already spent £29,000 investigating the matter, which first arose in 2007.

Now, following an appeal against the authority’s decision to throw out the complaint by a Fleetwood man, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has ruled that because the complaint is about a chief officer, there should be an independent investigation.