The Chief Constable of Cheshire Police has moved to set the record straight regarding his early retirement.

It was announced last month that Chief Constable Mark Roberts will be stepping down from his role this year after more than 30 years in policing.

But in a letter written to the Cheshire police and crime panel chairman, Cllr Judy Snowball, Mr Roberts states he did not initially want to retire.

He adds his decision came about after police and crime commissioner Dan Price refused his request to extend his contract beyond April 2027.

The letter, which was leaked by an unknown source and later posted on Facebook, states: "I understand it may have been conveyed the decision to retire was entirely my own and taken independently.

"In February this year I wrote to the commissioner seeking an extension to my current contract, which is due to expire by May 2027.

"In doing so, I highlighted a number of factors I believed supported continuity in post, including the strong performance of the constabulary, the forthcoming HMICFRS inspection activity, and the benefits of leadership stability during what remains an important period for the organisation particularly as the PCC is currently seeking election as the mayor.

"The commissioner subsequently informed me that he would not be extending my contract beyond its current end date which meant that my preferred option of continuing in role beyond May 2027 would not be available."

The press release issued to announced Mr Roberts' retirement did hint he was not happy to be doing so.

In it, he had said: "I had hoped to take the force through to 2028, but the decision has been made to take the force in a different direction."

In his letter to Cllr Snowball, Mr Roberts said following careful consideration he then decided to retire earlier than originally planned.

He added: "It is therefore important to clarify that, whilst the decision to retire was ultimately mine, it arose in the context of the commissioner's decision not to extend my contract and the commencement of succession arrangements.

"It would not be accurate to suggest that retirement, particularly on this timetable, was my preferred outcome when in fact I was fully committed and enthusiastic about leading the force into the coming years."

In a statement issued to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Price said: "The chief constable's contract ends in April 2027 and his request for an extension could have only been for a further 12 months, in line with police regulations.

"The chief constable and I discussed my reasons for not extending his contract as well as the timescales for recruiting his replacement, aligning with April 2027.

"This is standard practice for such a senior role.

"When it comes to disclosure of any information or context surrounding matters of employment, it's important that transparency is balanced against the need to respect the privacy and confidentiality of that individual.

"The chief constable's decision to retire before his contract ended was his own."

At last week's police and crime panel meeting, member Professor Barry Godfrey said because Mr Roberts was retiring early there would be a 'leadership gap'.

He asked Mr Price whether he'd had discussions with the chief constable about staying on until his replacement was in post.

Mr Price told the panel: "I can't make the chief constable stay on for an extra few weeks. It's his retirement that he triggered, and he starts it as soon as possible."