One of Stoke-on-Trent's most senior police officers has been suspended.
Staffordshire Police have taken the action after receiving 'allegations amounting to gross misconduct' against Chief Inspector John Owen.
Popular Mr Owen - whose active Twitter account can no longer be accessed - is the policing commander for Stoke-on-Trent North which takes in Hanley, Burslem and Tunstall.
Now the force has launched its own investigation into the unspecified allegations.
In a statement, a Staffordshire Police spokesman said: “We can confirm that a decision has been taken to suspend Chief Inspector John Owen, policing commander for Stoke-on-Trent North, following allegations which amount to gross misconduct.
"The matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which has assessed this matter and referred it back to the force which has commenced an internal investigation.”
An IOPC spokesman said: “We received a referral in relation to this matter from Staffordshire Police and assessed it as suitable for a local investigation to be carried out by the force.”
StokeonTrentLive has contacted Staffordshire Police Federation for a statement regarding Mr Owen's suspension. Mr Owen has led attempts to clean up Hanley and was the public face leading last year's search for drowned schoolboy Ryan Evans at Westport Lake.
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