A SUSPENDED chief constable questioned as part of a bribery probe will not be subject to an additional investigation by a police complaints watchdog.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said launching its own enquiries into West Yorkshire Police chief Mark Gilmore was "unnecessary".
Mr Gilmore, a former Police Service of Northern Ireland officer, was suspended in June on full pay by West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson in the wake of a PSNI probe into the award of its police vehicle contracts.
The police chief has denied any wrongdoing and said he has always acted with honesty and integrity.
He voluntarily attended a police station in his native Belfast in August for interview.
After questioning, the PSNI said detectives were drawing up a file to be handed to prosecutors who would decide whether to press charges.
Earlier in the summer, the PSNI arrested seven men for questioning on suspicion of offences including bribery, misconduct in public office and procuring misconduct in public office.
Retired PSNI assistant chief constable Duncan McCausland was one of those detained.
After he was released, pending a report being sent to prosecutors for assessment, Mr McCausland strenuously denied wrongdoing and stressed his determination to prove his innocence.
Mr Burns-Williamson had referred Mr Gilmore to the IPCC in June.
An IPCC spokesman said yesterday: "The IPCC has today informed the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire that we will not investigate WYP's chief constable Mark Gilmore. "The WYP PCC made a referral to the IPCC in June that concerned a PSNI investigation into the awarding of vehicle contracts. "IPCC investigators went to Northern Ireland and following an assessment we have decided that a parallel IPCC investigation is unnecessary. "The matter has now been referred back to the WYP PCC."
A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police confirmed Mr Gilmore was still suspended.