A senior police officer retired hours before a disciplinary hearing found he had pursued a young female colleague and texted her a photo of his penis.

Rob Cousen didn't attend the disciplinary hearing held at the force's headquarters today which found him guilty of gross misconduct. The hearing established that the high-flying officer, who was the commander of GMP 's Tameside division, would have been sacked had he not retired a matter of hours before.

A panel ruled Cousen's conduct was "sexually motivated throughout" and he pursued a "sexual and inappropriate relationship" with the more junior female officer over a "long period of time". Cousen, who earned about £100,000-a-year as a chief superintendent , was suspended in October 2022.

Outlining the case for the chief constable, Jo

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