Police chiefs have been accused of dragging their heels over an internal disciplinary investigation involving a Bradford police officer and his police inspector father.

PC Richard Perrett, 27, of Odsal Police, Inspector David Perrett, of Halifax Police, and landlord Peter Beck, of the Queens Road End Pub, Halifax, were cleared by a jury in February of being drunk on board a trans-Atlantic flight.

Sitting at Manchester Crown Court, Judge Anthony Ensor described the jury's verdicts as "merciful", saying in his opinion there was clear evidence the men had behaved in a loud and bawdy manner.

Both officers returned to work following the verdicts and internal disciplinary proceedings, which had been suspended pending the outcome of the court case, were resumed. But, more than six months on, a hearing into their alleged conduct has yet to take place.

West Yorkshire Police Federation secretary Richard Critchley said: "Not withstanding the personal opinion of the judge, the jury acquitted both officers of any criminal act. It seems bizarre in the least that if the case has been to court, inquiries already having been made for it to reach that stage, that an internal disciplinary hearing should take so long.''

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said today a hearing was now scheduled to take place within the next two months.

He said: "We need to arrange dates for hearings, taking into account the availability of all the parties' legal representatives just as the courts do."

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