Police boss faced “campaign of harassment”

“I’ve dealt with an awful lot of people, bad people, in my time but it’s not how I’d expect to be treated by colleagues.”

One of the country’s most powerful police leaders has revealed how shocking hostility and harassment drove him to quit his job.

Steve Williams who announced he was quitting as chairman of the Police Federation a week ago, has broken his silence on his turbulent time at the top of the organisation, which was at the centre of the “plebgate” saga.

Mr Williams, a 30-year career detective, said his work had brought him into contact with hardened criminals, but it had not prepared him for the hostility he faced from colleagues within the Police Federation.

The 53-year-old said: “I’m a seasoned cop, I’ve been around the block. I’ve dealt with an awful lot of people, bad people, in my time but it’s not how I’d expect to be treated by colleagues.”

Mr Williams, who quit alongside general secretary Ian Rennie, claims he was faced with hostile opposition to his attempts to reform the organisation he took over in December 2012, two months after the former Tory Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell resigned, after being accused of calling an officer a pleb.

The Federation chairman commissioned an unpopular review following a series of reversals over pay and condition negotiations, criticisms of lavish spending by senior figures and lack of influence over decision-makers.

The battle continued last week after it emerged rebellious branches had refused to tell the national leadership how much they had stashed in secret accounts.

He said he had faced “hurdles, blockers and resistance” from within an organisation whose members had accused him of dictatorial and treacherous behaviour.

Mr Williams said: “I was constantly under this sort of pressure and people trying to do me down.

“I’d been verbally, personally criticised publicly. I’ve been blanked, I’ve had emails, texts. I’ve had phone conversations. If I’m honest, it grinds you down. It was continual pressure.”

MPs also published a previously unseen email this week written by Mr Williams in February in which he complained to senior colleagues that he felt he had been “gratuitously and cruelly bullied and humiliated”.

The email followed an emotional and particularly bruising encounter with top officials over his plans but was never sent after reflection.

Mr Williams said he was disappointed the email shown to his former head of communications had come to light as it raised questions about the pressures faced by his predecessor who died just before he was due to hand over the reins, aged 57.

“I was feeling very battered and bruised. I’d had a tough time and a continual feeling of being under this immense pressure,” said Mr Williams of the email.

“It was heartfelt at the time. I was just at a low point in my career. It was one of the worst days ever. It was a bad day and a bad weekend.”