Fraud Allegation Covered Up at HBC: Cleveland Police Accused of Shielding Hartlepool Council Officer from Prosecution

Civic Centre Hartlepool..

Cleveland Police dismisses electoral fraud allegations which are said to have occurred at Hartlepool Borough Council within hours of them being made known—after the civilian officer assigned to the case not only refused to investigate the case, but even accusing the victims themselves of criminal activity.

12th May 2025

Cleveland Police are said to be coming under fire over claims they're shielding council officers complicit in serious fraud, after refusing to investigate a serious allegation of electoral fraud which reportedly took place at Hartlepool Borough Council between November and December 2022.

The allegation relates to claims a council officer—believed to work within the councils legal department—unlawfully added two local householders to the electoral register without their knowledge or consent. The officer, who remains unnamed in this report, is said to have committed the criminal act allegedly in a retaliatory move against the householders who had asked for no further contact following prior distressing encounters with the council officer concerned & concerns over his behaviour...

The additions to the register only came to light in early 2025—some two years later—when one of the residents underwent a credit reference check and noticed the suspicious entries.

The email sent back to the complainant by the civilian officer was quick to turn the tables on the victims, highlighting Cleveland Polices 'dismissive' attitudes to serious crimes

Despite the serious nature of the allegations—potential breaches of both the Computer Misuse Act and the Representation of the People Act— Cleveland Police were said to have dismissed the case within just four hours of its submission. The civilian officer tasked with the complaint, known only by the collar number C8866 & refusing to give their name, even went as far as to suggest that the complainants themselves were committing a criminal act against the local council—a claim both outrageous and defamatory.

Its now reportedly led to a formal complaint being lodged with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), amid growing concern that Cleveland Police is not only failing in its duty to protect the public—but actively protecting corrupt council staff from criminal investigation.

A Council Caught Out – Yet Still Untouchable...

Hartlepool Borough Council insists the householders 'phoned' the council to add their details to the register, yet provided no proof to the occupants of the property when asked for it

The heart of this scandal lies in a letter sent by Hartlepool Borough Council’s Election Services to the householders themselves after they uncovered the fraud & reported it to the local council which in 2023 was declared an authority of no public confidence. In the letter Durham & Teesside Today has seen, Its claimed that on the 22nd November 2022, a person claiming to be one of the householders Telephoned the council, supposedly "passing verification checks," and requested that both their name be added to the electoral register..

Yet when pressed for evidence of this call—such as logs or recordings that councils are legally obligated to retain under GDPR regulations—Hartlepool Borough Council failed to provide anything. No audio. No logs. No accountability. Just an unverified claim.

Given the clear legal implications and the lack of evidence to support the council's version of events, the question must be asked: why were Cleveland Police so quick to sweep this alleged fraud under the rug?

A Police Force that's now no better than the Villains its supposedly tasked with brining to justice !

Cleveland Police on Teesside, just like the local councils are being seen as part of the problem and not the solution

This isn’t the first time Cleveland Police have come under scrutiny over claims of alleged 'cover-ups', its claimed just days ago, Cleveland Police took to a local newspaper fearing the public fallout of an incident which occurred in Acklam Road, Middlesbrough, when its claimed at least six police officers set upon a local member of the public who reportedly had their vehicle seized for no insurance, only to find the vehicle was in fact appropriately insured, with many claiming the incident was eerily reminiscent of a similar situation in Hartlepool, in which a local Man was killed in police custody in Middlesbrough during what was reportedly said to have been "a routine traffic stop". The inquest into his death is still to be conducted...

Locals are starting to suspect the latest incident regarding allegations of fraud occurring at Hartlepool Borough Council is something far more sinister. In that this isn't just a case of mere incompetence—but rather a carefully coordinated effort between corrupt officials and a corrupt police force working hand in hand, protecting one other from facing the consequences of their misconduct.

Especially when that misconduct is then thrown out into the open for the public to see... !

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