Police admit wrongly awarding medals to officers who should not have been given them – including Superintendent who wore Golden Jubilee Medal despite only joining force two years earlier

Northamptonshire police has launched an investigation after admitting that it mistakenly awarded medals to officers who should not have received them, MailOnline can reveal.

The embarrassing blunder emerged just a day after the force’s head Chief Constable Nick Adderley was suspended after being accused of wearing a Falklands War Service medal despite being only 15 during the conflict.

Bumbling Northants police officials have now astonishingly confessed that he was not alone and that other officers wrongly wore medals after being awarded them even though they did not meet the eligibility criteria.

One of the officers concerned is Superintendent Chris Hillery, who was photographed wearing The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2017 at the funeral of PC Keith Palmer, who was killed in the Westminster terror attack.

The medal was issued to all serving members of the Emergency Services and the army to mark The Queen’s Golden Jubilee who were serving as of 6 February 2002 and had completed five years’ service.

Superintendent Hillery joined Northants Police in May 2000 and prior to that was working as gym instructor and swimming coach. There is no suggestion that he deliberately misled anyone to receive the medal with Northants police admitting that the blame ‘lies squarely’ with them.

Superintendent Chris Hillery was photographed wearing The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2017 at the funeral of PC Keith Palmer. There is no suggestion he deliberately misled anyone to receive the medal with Northants police admitting that the blame ‘lies squarely’ with them

Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police, Nick Adderley (pictured) has been suspended over claims he misrepresented his military past in public

The force’s head Chief Constable Nick Adderley (pictured) was suspended after being accused of wearing a Falklands War Service medal despite being only 15 during the conflict

He is currently head of Contact and Custody and previously carried out a number of other high-profile roles at the force.

READ MORE: Veterans demand police chief be sacked for wearing Falklands War medal despite never actually taking part

After being sent a picture of Superintendent Hillery at the funeral and asked why he was wearing The Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal, Northants Police astonishingly confirmed to MailOnline that his ‘is not an isolated case.’

It said in a statement said: ‘Following your inquiry, checks were made which revealed the officer had been awarded the commemorative 2002 Golden Jubilee Medal in error.

‘The Force has identified this was not an isolated case and it is now reviewing whether other officers received medals that did not meet the eligibility criteria.’

The statement continued: ‘The blame for this lies squarely with Northamptonshire Police and not with the officer himself. While HR records from the turn of the century were not what they are today, the officer was placed on a list submitted by the Force as eligible. He duly accepted the medal in good faith and has worn it at specific events in his ensuing career, again in good faith.

‘The officer himself has given more than 23 years of exemplary regular service, during which he was the also recipient of a Long Service Medal as well as the Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals. Prior to joining the regulars he had served in the Special Constabulary while working as a full-time fitness instructor.’

Sources at the force told MailOnline that their investigation involves ‘several’ police officers wrongly awarded medals, many of whom have now retired.

READ MORE: £165k-a-year chief constable ‘misled people into thinking he fought in the Falklands War by wearing a combat service medal despite being a 15-year-old cadet at the time of the conflict’

It will not just focus on The Queen’s Jubilee Medal but all that were awarded by the force over the past 20 years.

The source added: ‘It’s still early days but we will look at every single medal that has been awarded by the force. As you can imagine, there is a lot of attention on us over the issue of medals and our priority is to sort this situation out quickly.’

The force is still reeling from the controversy of the Falklands War medal worn by Chief Constable Adderley.

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold revealed that an independent investigation is now taking place into his conduct.

A complaint was received from a member of the public, before a mandatory referral of the complaint was made to the Independent Office For Police Conduct who are now looking into the allegations.

Mr Mold said he believed it was in the public interest, in the interest of the force, and of the Chief Constable himself that Adderley is suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

He said: ‘Allegations of misconduct must always be fully, independently investigated so that the public have confidence in the integrity of the police service and the processes that independently hold policing to account.

Constable Adderley pinned the 1982 campaign medal to his chest – despite not joining the Royal Navy until two years later

That independent investigation must now be allowed to take its course and we will not be commenting further on matters related to the investigation.

READ MORE: Police chief is suspended amid ‘stolen valour’ probe after he was pictured wearing Falklands War medal despite being 15 at the time of the conflict 

‘My focus will be on ensuring that Northamptonshire receives the best possible policing service and I know that the officers and staff of Northamptonshire Police will continue to focus, as they do every day, on their mission to constantly improve the way they tackle crime, keep people safe and serve the communities and neighbourhoods of this county.’

The suspension will be kept under regular review as the investigation progresses.

Chief Constable Adderley is understood to have enlisted in the Navy in 1984 aged 18 – two years after the Falklands War ended. He was in the cadets from the age of 15.

Video footage has revealed how the police boss wore the South Atlantic Medal on more than one occasion. It was awarded to British military personnel who served in the 1982 war between Britain and Argentina.

The married father-of-two, who was among the frontrunners to take on the Met before Sir Mark Rowley became commissioner in 2022, is accused of wearing it at a string of events including the Police Bravery Awards in July.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said Nick Adderley will be interviewed and is under investigation for potential offences of misconduct in public office and fraud.

British soldiers during the Falklands Conflict in June 1982 

An IOPC spokesperson said: ‘The Independent Office for Police Conduct is criminally investigating the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire over allegations that he has potentially misrepresented his military service, both in public and in communications with the police, fire and crime commissioner.

‘We have advised the chief constable in a criminal letter that we are examining possible offences of misconduct in public office and fraud by false representation.

‘After reviewing information gathered so far as part of our investigation, we have also served a gross misconduct notice on the chief constable for potential breaches of police professional standards relating to honesty and integrity, orders and instructions and conduct.

‘The serving of such a notice and letter does not mean that any proceedings will necessarily follow.’

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