Rod Hansen's suspension last October as the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire's Constabulary – and his subsequent re-employment in a sideways shift at Waterwells – is showing no signs of exiting the headlines amid new questions to Chris Nelson, the county's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) from three MPs whose constituencies cover the county.

Lib Dem lawmakers Roz Savage, MP for South Cotswolds and Max Wilkinson, MP for Cheltenham have joined Cameron Thomas, who represents Tewkesbury, in sending a letter to the Conservative PCC demanding to know more his role in the lifting of Mr Hansen's suspension amid an ongoing Independent Office for Police Conduct probe for alleged gross misconduct.

The MPs said the new role for Mr Hansen came as Gloucestershire Constabulary announced it would make police staff posts redundant because it needs to find an extra £12.3m by the end of the next financial year (March 2026).

North Cotswold and Tewkesbury Lib Dems said in a statement: "CC Hansen's Chief of Staff was also suspended, and only then was it made clear that the Deputy Chief Constable had also been suspended and chose to retire, leaving a leadership vacuum at the top of the force.

"In January, a report was published by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, stating that Mr Nelson had since lifted CC Hansen's suspension, although the investigation continues.

Mr Nelson was quoted as saying it was because of a "change in circumstances", and "the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) has offered Mr Hansen a redeployment to a non-public facing role."

Cameron Thomas, MP for Tewkesbury, later discovered the PCC had contacted the NPCC with such a proposal back in October, and that Gloucestershire Constabulary, the LIb Dems says, "will continue to pay CC Hansen's sizeable salary despite his deployment outside the county".

Collectively, the MPs have written to the PCC, requesting "clarity and transparency" about a matter they perceive as being in the public interest. They claim the move "appears to be a unique situation, and there needs to be parity of treatment for all officers, or public faith in the constabulary could be undermined".

The Lib Dems added: "[The MPs] also want to know why Gloucestershire's council tax payers are continuing to fund a chief constable's considerable salary whilst he is working elsewhere in the country, particularly at a time when the Constabulary has a multi-million pound shortfall in its budget.

Mr Thomas said: "There are questions to answer regarding the circumstances of CC Hansen's redeployment, the financial shortfall and with the leadership of our constabulary. Residents are proud of our courageous, selfless police officers and staff, but there has been too much uncertainty at the top for too long."

He added: "The leadership situation at the force has been shambolic and I know that it is affecting morale. My thoughts are very much with our robust officers and staff, working to keep us safe despite the perpetual problems at the top of the organisation."

In response the claims from the MPs, PCC Chris Nelson refuted the MPs' claims: "I am satisfied that all of the decisions I have made since the investigation began, have been in accordance with the regulations.

"This situation is unprecedented and we arrive here because a redeployment opportunity was made. This means the grounds for suspension, as set out in the regulations, were no longer met."

Mr Nelson added: "It is important to note that all officers, whilst suspended pending an investigation, are on full pay. We asked that salary costs were covered as part of the redeployment but this was declined".