'Boob-gate' ex-cop lands top council job

21 February 2019, 13:29 | Updated: 21 February 2019, 13:31

A female former police chief who launched a drunken tirade at a junior colleague about the size of her breasts has landed a £122,000-a-year council job.

Ex-assistant chief constable Rebekah Sutcliffe resigned from Greater Manchester Police at the end of 2018 and took up her new position as Oldham Council's strategic director of reform.

In May 2016, she told Superintendent Sarah Jackson at a national conference for senior women in policing that her "credibility was zero" after she had a "boob job", and berated her as a "laughing stock" who would be judged "on the size of her tits".

She went on to pull down the front of her dress to expose her left breast, saying: "Look at these, look at these, these are the breasts of someone who has had three children.

"They are ugly but I don't feel the need to pump myself full of silicone to get self-esteem."

A disciplinary panel later ruled her actions amounted to gross misconduct but recommended a final written warning rather than dismissal, which was accepted by GMP bosses.

Ms Jackson, who is now employed by Cumbria Constabulary, said she was "shocked, mortified, embarrassed and ashamed" at the comments made by her superior who admitted full responsibility for her "unkind and unfair" behaviour.

In February 2017 the Manchester Evening News reported that Ms Sutcliffe had been seconded to Oldham Council to oversee a project to encourage police and public bodies to work more closely together.

On Thursday, the council said in a statement: "We can confirm that Rebekah Sutcliffe was appointed to the role of strategic director of reform with effect from 1 January 2019.

"Prior to December 2018 she was seconded to the council and the salary cost during the secondment was shared."

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Former ACC Rebekah Sutcliffe resigned from Greater Manchester Police with effect from December 31 2018."