Neil Wilby Media

Used correctly, the Freedom of Information Act, 2000 (FOIA or the Act) is a potent tool for journalists and information rights practitioners.

Neil Wilby, the author of this article, utilises the Act mostly via the iconic WhatDoTheyKnow internet platform, with an 85% success rate in obtaining information, in whole or part, from public authorities, especially police forces, policing bodies and statutory regulators.

In a recent FOIA request to the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), he sought details of the holders of the NPCC portfolio for Crime Statistics between 2013 and 2017. The NPCC initially refused the request, citing excessive time and cost. They said it would take more than 18 hours of officer time to locate the requested details.

That decision was appealed by way of an internal review, robustly questioning the NPCC’s decision. Describing it as ‘ludicrous’ and likely to bring police chiefs and the wider police service into further disrepute.

Subsequently, the NPCC conducted further searches and swiftly disclosed the information requested, revealing Chief Constable Jeff Farrar of Gwent Police as the lead for Crime Recording in 2013, followed by Chief Constable Bill Skelly of Lincolnshire Police in April 2017.

The FOIA request can be viewed in full here.

This dramatic turnaround by a very powerful, high profile organisation highlights the importance of diligent oversight by journalists and other stakeholders, such as academics and politicians, in enforcing the Act and ensuring transparency in public institutions.

That apart, there was a strong motive behind the request and one which it is surmised that the police chiefs cottoned onto, despite the innocuous looking nature in which it was framed.

A controversial chief constable, currently suspended from his role in Northamptonshire, facing the prospect of dismissal at a police misconduct hearing next month (May, 2024) and awaiting a charging decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following a referral to them by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) had claimed that he was the National Lead for Crime Statistics in 2014.

Nick Adderley has been dubbed a ‘Walter Mitty’ type character by the national press given his now proven propensity to lie and fantasise over a very long period (over 30 years) on a wide range of topics. Mostly connected, but not confined, to bogus career achievements (read more here). 

CC Adderley, a chief superintendent with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at the time, was filmed during a security conference in the force area in that year. Featured in the YouTube clip below the headline of this article, he started a speech with an ironic line of “I will be totally honest with you” before going on to do just the opposite.

Not least with the claim that he was the current national lead for crime statistics at the time. Hence the FOIA request that would prove the claim, or otherwise. Unfortunately, for the disgraced chief it is the latter.

Simon Tilley, a Northamptonshire GDPR and audit compliance specialist, who has done almost all the heavy lifting in bringing Nick Adderley down to earth with a bump, had previously made a FOIA request to GMP in an attempt to prove that the errant chief was not the national lead he so publicly claimed to be.

As part of what appears to be a concerted and widescale damage limitation exercise, involving GMP, Northants Police, the NPCC, the College of Policing, the Northants Police and Crime Commissioner and the IOPC, the request was refused. GMP said the request (not the requester) was vexatious. A decision that is currently subject to internal review (read the request in full here).

Objectively viewed, it was a clumsy attempt to stifle further investigation into an officer who has become a complete embarrassment to them and the wider police service.

Neil Wilby has now made a further FOIA request to the IOPC in an attempt to winkle out documents from them held in connection with the fake national lead claim by Nick Adderley (read the request in full here). The journalistic presumption, at present, is that it is one of a number of meticulously researched Simon Tilley complaints that remain unaddressed by the tame police watchdog.

The last words, for now at least, go appropriately to Simon Tilley:

“Going through all of Nick Adderley’s historical claims of glory is like rewatching your favourite movie, tv show or book, no matter how many times you watch or read it, you still find new details you missed the first time around.”

Page last updated: Monday 29th April, 2024 at 0825 hours

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Picture credit: NPCC

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