Cheshire’s Chief Constable Mark Roberts has broken his silence over his forthcoming retirement, revealing that he had wanted to remain in the post beyond May 2027 but decided to leave earlier after being told his contract would not be extended.
In a strongly worded letter to the Chair of the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel, Cllr Judy Snowball, Mark Roberts says it is important to correct what he believes could be a misleading impression that his retirement was entirely his own decision and taken independently.
The intervention follows a Police and Crime Panel meeting on September 18, where Police and Crime Commissioner Dan Price provided an update on the Chief Constable’s retirement.
Mr Roberts says he wrote to the Commissioner in February requesting an extension to his existing contract, which was due to expire in May 2027.
He cited the performance of Cheshire Constabulary, forthcoming HMICFRS inspection activity and the benefits of leadership stability as reasons for wanting to remain in post.
However, according to the Chief Constable, the Commissioner subsequently told him that he would not extend his contract beyond its existing end date.
Mr Roberts says he was then advised that preparations to recruit his successor would begin during September.
He says that, after considering the implications of the recruitment process becoming known while he remained in post, he decided to retire earlier than originally planned.
The Chief Constable said such a process would “undoubtedly rapidly” become known and could leave him having to navigate his remaining months in office while a successor was being recruited.
He added that it was therefore important to clarify the sequence of events.
“Whilst the decision to retire was ultimately mine, it arose in the context of the Commissioner’s decision not to extend my contract and the commencement of succession arrangements,” he wrote.
Mr Roberts went further, saying it would not be accurate to suggest that retirement on the timetable chosen was his preferred outcome.
He said he remained “fully committed and enthusiastic” about leading Cheshire Constabulary into the coming years.
The letter has prompted a political response from Conservative candidate for Mayor of Cheshire and Warrington, Ben Fletcher, who accused the Commissioner of effectively dismissing the Chief Constable.
Mr Fletcher said: “It is very disappointing to learn that the Chief Constable was effectively dismissed by the Police and Crime Commissioner.”
He described Mr Roberts as “widely recognised as the best Chief Constable in the country” and said Cheshire Constabulary had consistently been ranked as one of the country’s top-performing forces for tackling crime.
Mr Fletcher said the Chief Constable had wanted to continue serving the people of Cheshire and argued that his request for an extension should have been accepted.
He added that both the Chief Constable and Cheshire Constabulary had been “badly let down” and that serious questions now needed to be answered about how the situation had arisen.
However, the Police and Crime Commissioner has rejected the suggestion that Mr Roberts was dismissed.
Dan Price said the Chief Constable’s contract ends in April 2027 and that, under police regulations, any extension could only have been for a further 12 months.
He said he had discussed with Mr Roberts his reasons for deciding not to extend the contract, as well as the timescale for recruiting a replacement.
Mr Price said the process was aligned with April 2027 and was “standard practice for such a senior role”.
He also stressed that there were limits to what could publicly be disclosed about employment matters.
“When it comes to disclosure of any information or context surrounding matters of employment, it’s important that transparency is balanced against the need to respect the privacy and confidentiality of that individual,” he said.
The Commissioner concluded: “The Chief Constable’s decision to retire before his contract ended was his own.”
The letter comes at a politically sensitive time, with Mr Price and Mr Fletcher both campaigning to become the first elected Mayor of Cheshire and Warrington.
Mr Roberts has offered to provide the Police and Crime Panel with further information and supporting correspondence if required.
The panel will now have to decide whether the Chief Constable’s letter requires further scrutiny — and whether the full sequence of events behind his early retirement should be examined publicly.
