THE gross misconduct hearing into suspended Cheshire police chief constable Simon Byrne has entered its second week.

The hearing at Warrington Town Hall has heard from a number of former and current staff at the police force.

Mr Byrne, 55, is accused of showing a lack of self-control and exhibiting volatile, unpredictable and offensive behaviour during his time at the head of the police force.

He denies the allegations, which date from between May 2014 and March 2017.

The chief constable of Cheshire police was suspended last August following an investigation into alleged gross misconduct.

On Tuesday, Mr Byrne's former personal assistant Jane Orme gave evidence and was questioned.

One of the allegations concerned Ms Orme being asked by Mr Byrne to put together a Powerpoint presentation but he 'refused to provide her' with the information to include in it.

Ms Orme said: "I don't think he had the information to give me.

"His impression was that I'd be able to actually write it all myself, and that he didn't need to give me that information.

"He said, you can contact the Met yourself."

Upon being accused by Gerry Boyle, representing Simon Byrne, that Ms Orme ultimately produced "barely a draft presentation, incomplete on his desk", Ms Orme replied: "He refused to tell me what was in the Met presentation, and told me to get it myself."

Members of the hearing panel also heard Mr Byrne would work from 9am, and would often go home around 2pm. He 'would not accept anything' after 4.30pm.

Ms Orme would start work 'very early' around around 7am and work until around 4pm, then would begin working again from home from around 5.30pm for around 40 minutes.

Ms Orme said: "Very often he would not make it in for 9am and would go home early in the afternoon.

"Sometimes it would be due to personal commitments or medical appointments."

Under questioning by Mr Boyle, Ms Orme added: "There were so many times when we had to change appointments due to clashes with his son's commitments, things that had been arranged for weeks and weeks."

Ms Orme said she 'felt bad about having to lie to people' about the chief constable not being able to attend meetings.

Mr Boyle said: "The chief constable never asked you to lie to these people."

Ms Orme: "I suppose I would be economical with the truth. I felt very embarrassed about continually standing people up.

"I wouldn't tell them lies, but I wouldn't tell them the reasons. I would not like to be an officer who missed something vital because Mr Byrne had to go to an appointment with a physiotherapist."

Mr Byrne is expected to give evidence in the hearing on Thursday, which is expected to conclude at the end of this week.