Portsmouth councillor under investigation over police conduct claims
A Portsmouth city councillor and former police officer is under investigation following allegations he retained sensitive police material, obstructed an investigation, and failed to return CS spray after leaving the force.
Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Adair, who formerly served as PC 1524 with Hampshire Constabulary, is accused of retaining sensitive material, including footage of a deceased male, images of an assault victim, and footage of a suicide.
It is also alleged he manipulated the Police National Computer to obstruct an investigation and failed to return CS spray - a type of tear gas - after ending his police service in autumn 2014.
Hampshire Constabulary’s Professional Standards Department (PSD) initially declined to pursue the complaint, submitted by Callum Finnegan in May 2024. The PSD cited the nine-year time lapse, saying an investigation would “not reasonable or proportionate”.
However, on April 10, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) upheld Mr Finnegan’s request for a review. It said that, given “the seriousness of the allegations”, an investigation was both “appropriate and necessary” to establish whether further evidence could be found.
The IOPC criticised the PSD decision, which was made by business support manager Luke Finnegan. It said there is no legal time limit for making a complaint and noted a lack of evidence that the complaint handler had contacted the complainant to clarify details.
The watchdog also pointed to the wider public interest, stating the allegations “may have an impact on public confidence”.
Responding to the claims, Cllr Adair said: “I have no sensitive police information nor CS gas in my possession and only handled such as part of my functions as a police officer.”
He also said he has faced years of harassment, including repeated public complaints and online posts. He added that he is willing to cooperate fully with any investigation.
The request for the review was made by former Liberal Democrat councillor and twice Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, David Fuller, who described Callum Finnegan as “a person with good character”.
A spokesperson for Portsmouth City Council said: "We are aware of the historic allegations and the ongoing investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. As the investigation is in progress, it would be inappropriate for us to comment."
A Hampshire Constabulary spokesperson added: “We are aware of the IOPC decision and it has now been allocated to an investigator within our Professional Standards Department.”