THE future of North Yorkshire’s Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell, who faces allegations of gross misconduct, could be announced today.

Yesterday, the 50-year-old officer appeared at a disciplinary hearing and according to Channel Four News last night, he admitted “disreputable conduct”. He has previously always denied the allegations. He is alleged to have given a relative an unfair advantage in a force recruitment drive early last year.

A tribunal headed by Joanna Greenberg QC was tasked with deciding whether he had committed charges of gross misconduct, which, if proved, could lead to him being dismissed from the force. No chief constable has been sacked for more than 30 years.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission announced before the hearing began that the outcome would be made public.

Members of North Yorkshire Police Authority, which employs Mr Maxwell, were not available for comment last night, or were not prepared to speak about the matter.

The allegations refer to Spring last year, when telephone banks set up to handle calls during a recruitment drive crashed under the weight of calls. The force wanted 1,000 candidates – 350,000 people called, most of whom were unable to get through.

When the system was restored to working order, Mr Maxwell helped man the phones. According to the allegations, he then rang a relative who had been unable to get through. The hearing was expected to last some days and follows an inquiry into the allegations by the IPCC which recommended the authority hold a hearing into his future.

Deputy Chief Constable Adam Briggs also faced a misconduct hearing in December over similar allegations.

The meeting concluded Mr Briggs failed to challenge and report improper conduct, and that he acted in a manner likely to bring discredit upon and undermine public confidence in the police service. He retired shortly afterwards.

Mr Maxwell has headed North Yorkshire Police since 2007 with a six-figure salary. He has been a police officer for nearly 30 years, since joining Cleveland Police in Middlesbrough in 1983.