Gloucestershire's suspended chief constable has been removed from his role at the National Police Chiefs' Council - after a second gross misconduct notice.

Rod Hansen was suspended on full pay from Gloucestershire Constabulary in October over allegations of gross misconduct. He was redeployed to the National Police Chiefs' Council, whilst under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Now Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has removed him from that role after new allegations.

Chris Nelson, PCC, said that having considered the seriousness of the allegations, he had decided to suspend Mr Hansen pending the outcome of the investigation.

The latest allegations relate to Mr Hansen's involvement in a recruitment process, while the previous allegations were to do with his handling of an allegation of computer misuse.

Mr Nelson said the second potential breach of standards was unearthed during investigations into the original allegations.

He added that the decision to suspend 'has no bearing on any indication of guilt and should not be seen as such'.

An IOPC spokesperson said: "We can confirm we have served a second gross misconduct notice on chief constable Rod Hansen over further conduct allegations. The new allegations relate to the extent of the chief constable's involvement in a recruitment process for a member of Gloucestershire Constabulary staff, his account of any involvement, and whether his actions complied with force policies and procedures.

"Our original investigation into the chief constable's handling of an allegation of computer misuse and a potential data breach by another member of staff is well advanced.

"The serving of misconduct notices does not necessarily mean any disciplinary proceedings will follow. At the end of our investigations we will decide whether there is any case to answer for potential breaches of police professional standards. Suspension is a matter for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire."

A spokesperson for the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association (CPOSA) said: "Chief Constable Hansen strongly denies any wrongdoing and is co-operating fully with the IOPC's investigation. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

Mr Nelson concluded: "It is right that all allegations are dealt with consistently and investigated properly, no matter what the rank of the person under investigation, and I retain my confidence in the IOPC to do just that.

"In the meantime, I would like to assure residents that the Constabulary will be operating as normal, keeping our residents safe, and preventing and detecting crime."

The Gloucestershire force is currently operating under the leadership of temporary chief constable Maggie Blyth.