Scott Chilton, the former chief constable of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, has been found guilty of gross misconduct by a police panel following revelations of undisclosed affairs with two junior officers and attempts to undermine investigations into his behavior. The panel described Chilton as duplicitous, dishonest, and entitled in its findings.

Chilton, 53, who served as chief constable from 2023 until his retirement in April 2025, was found to have engaged in a sexual relationship with a sergeant, identified as Officer A, between 2008 and 2012. The panel concluded that the encounters included instances while on duty, which Chilton denied. He also failed to disclose this relationship during his application to become chief constable. Officer A stated she was aware Chilton was married and had a son at the time, while she was single.

In addition, Chilton was found to have started an affair with a female inspector mere weeks after assuming his role as chief constable. According to the panel, he did not disclose this relationship and pressured the inspector to delete messages relating to it. When the inspector later disclosed the affair, Chilton reportedly subjected her to persistent and aggressive contact.

The misconduct panel, chaired by Michelle Skeer, His Majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary and fire & rescue services, determined that Chilton abused his position for personal sexual gratification and used calculated manipulative tactics intended to frustrate misconduct proceedings and investigations. The panel stated that he made serious and sustained efforts to mislead the police and crime commissioner and colleagues to avoid repercussions.

Furthermore, the panel highlighted that Chilton’s conduct was particularly serious given his position of trust at the highest level. It was noted that he had access to confidential information relating to colleagues, security, and national policing matters, some of which he inappropriately discussed with one of the officers via WhatsApp messages. The panel described his attempts to conceal his behavior as domineering and abusive.

Chilton did not attend the hearing held in Eastleigh, having disinstructed his lawyer citing medical issues related to the misconduct process. The panel concluded that, had he remained in position, Chilton would have faced immediate dismissal without notice on multiple grounds.

Following the findings, Chilton has been placed on the College of Policing barred officers list, effectively preventing any future employment in policing.

The investigation into Chilton’s conduct was prompted after a former detective chief inspector accused him of an affair during his own misconduct hearing, leading to closer scrutiny of Chilton’s past behavior and subsequent disciplinary proceedings.