THE Chief Constable of Wiltshire and two officers are being probed over claims that they withheld information from complainants during an investigation five years ago into the way the force dealt with a sex abuse case.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has announced it is looking into the actions of Mr Geenty along with those of an inspector and a detective inspector in relation to the way they handled complaints lodged in 2008 and 2009.

The force referred the claims about the detective and the inspector to the IPCC on August 2, while the chief constable’s case was referred by the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office.

The allegations are that in 2009 the two junior officers who had investigated a complaint into the way sex abuse allegations had been handled, withheld information from the complainants about the extent of the force’s failings.

Mr Geenty, then an assistant chief constable, is accused of withholding information and misleading the complainants, who have not been identified.

IPCC Deputy Chairman Sarah Green said: "It is vital that the public are confident that police forces will take their complaints seriously and act with honesty and integrity. Our investigation will seek to establish whether information was knowingly withheld and whether these complainants were knowingly and dishonestly misled.”

The IPCC has not released any information on the original allegations.

Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson said he made the referral after considering a letter of complaint which arrived on August 14.

“This letter was with regard to the way in which a previous complaint had been dealt with by the Force between 2008-10. That complaint was in relation to the way a case of historic sexual abuse had been managed,” he said.

"Following an initial meeting with IPCC investigators, my office is now in consultation with the IPCC on the matter.

"Deputy Chief Constable Mike Veale has made referrals to the IPCC in relation to the conduct of two other officers who were also involved in the handling of the 2008 complaint."

A Wiltshire Police statement issued today said: "Wiltshire Police can confirm that a referral was made to the IPCC relating to the way the Force dealt with a complaint between 2008 -10.

"They have informed us that the referral will now be subject to an independent IPCC investigation."