Head of government’s ethics watchdog steps down after reports he left police over alleged sex assaults

详细摘要

It emerged Stuart Sterling, the inaugural chief executive of the Ethics and Integrity Commission, was twice probed for alleged misconduct while a detective at ­Northamptonshire Police

The head of the government’s ethics watchdog has stepped back after reports he left the police over alleged sex misconduct claims.

Stuart Sterling, 48, is the inaugural chief executive of the Ethics and Integrity Commission. But it has emerged he was twice probed for alleged misconduct while a detective at ­Northamptonshire Police.

He was temporarily suspended for an alleged incident with a female colleague in 2002, and left after a probe into another claim in 2008. Both probes were inconclusive.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “These are serious allegations. Stuart Sterling has stepped back from his role whilst we swiftly ­establish the facts.”

After the 2008 claim he was again placed under investigation and an anti-corruption unit looked into the circumstances in which he had been allowed to keep his role years earlier. He left the force soon after and insists his departure was voluntary.

His watchdog role involved reporting to the PM on standards in public life, such as tackling misconduct and corruption. He worked with ministers on Hillsborough Law to stop institutional cover-ups.

Before joining the civil service, Sterling had national security roles in the Cabinet Office and was seconded to the National Police Chiefs’ Council. He was appointed OBE by the King in 2023.

The claims emerged after Whitehall’s due diligence processes came under fire over Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US despite warnings he was a friend of Jeffrey Epstein.

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