CHIEF Constable Pat Geenty has reversed his decision to retire on Sunday, instead starting a period of unpaid leave for a month.

The move comes because of a further delay being compiled into complaints concerning the chief constable and two other officers related to the way in which two earlier complaints about the way the Wiltshire force handled allegations of sexual abuse.

Angus MacPherson, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, has now been told by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) that there has been a further delay to the report into the complaints.

And because of this, Mr Geenty  today requested a four-week period of unpaid leave, to start on Monday, June 1 which has been authorised by Mr MacPherson.

Mr Macpherson was told to expect the report by mid May, but the delivery date subsequently slipped to the end of May.

The IPCC has now told the commissioner that, although its investigation – which began in September 2014 - has been completed, the report is not yet ready and is not expected until some time in June.

Mr Macpherson said today: “I was assured that I would receive the report by the middle of May. Then I was told I would have a briefing on the report in week commencing 26 May. But on 26 May the IPCC contacted my office to say the report was still not complete.

"I expected the IPCC to report in a timely manner and it is disappointing, to say the least, that I am still awaiting that report.

“I have no more information from the IPCC now than I had nearly ten months ago when the investigation began, and neither have the complainants nor the officers involved.

“I do feel for the families in this case. They complained about the service they received from Wiltshire Police, but they have still not had a resolution because of the time the IPCC has taken to investigate and report back to me. I am pressing the IPCC to bring this to a conclusion."

Mr Geenty said today: “I have said that it has been my wish to stay in office until the conclusion of this investigation. It had been indicated to me that the IPCC investigation and report would be concluded by the end of May.

“As a result of the further delay in the delivery of the IPCC report to the commissioner, I believe that postponing my retirement by four weeks is the right thing to do.

“I know this is what the complainants expect of me and I want to honour the commitment that I have given. So I have made the decision to take four weeks unpaid leave.

"This means that the date on which I will now retire is Sunday, 28 June.”

If the report is not delivered before Mr Geenty retires on 28 June, Mr Geenty has assured the commissioner that he will stand ready to answer any outstanding questions that need to be asked of him when the IPCC report is finally concluded.

Deputy Chief Constable Mike Veale was successful in his application to become the next Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police on May 6 and he will still take up the post on Monday, June 1.

The IPCC said it has kept all parties informed. A spokesman said: “Our investigation is now complete and the report is in the process of being drafted.

“Once the report is written it needs to be provided to the appropriate authority, which is the PCC.”