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Operation Forbes – IOPC concludes second strand of investigation into Cleveland Police

Factual summary of a published IOPC investigation, covering the incident, key findings and outcome.

All IOPC reports
Published
2020-11-17
Investigation type
independent
Force involved
Cleveland Police

What was investigated

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has concluded the second of three investigations into allegations of corruption and discrimination at Cleveland Police, specifically related to how an Equality Review was conducted in 2011. The investigation found insufficient evidence to indicate misconduct or criminality by the involved officers and former officers.

Key findings

  • Insufficient evidence to indicate misconduct or criminality.
  • The allegations included intimidation and victimization.
  • An extensive amount of material was examined during the investigation.
  • Witness statements were obtained from individuals suggested by the complainant.
  • Evidence from the Metropolitan Police Service was also considered.
  • A learning point was highlighted for Cleveland Police regarding future reviews.

Outcome

The investigation concluded with no case to answer for the officers involved, but a learning point was issued to Cleveland Police.

Read the full report on policeconduct.gov.uk

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Reviewed by the BlueLineHub Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 13 July 2026 · Next review due: 13 January 2027

This is a factual summary of a report published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Individuals are referred to exactly as the source report anonymises them. BlueLineHub is independent and not affiliated with the IOPC · Summarised 2026-07-13.