Ivan Balhatchet is a senior British police officer. Following the suspension of Nick Adderley, Balhatchet was appointed as interim Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police in October 2023. In January 2025 it was confirmed that he was to substantively appointed as the Chief Constable. [1]
Balhatchet joined Northamptonshire Police in 2000, subsequently serving as a detective, a senior investigating officer, a strategic firearms commander and a hostage negotiator. [2]
In 2025, The Court of Appeal ruled that Northamptonshire Police had been "wilfully disobedient" because it had repeatedly failed to obey court rulings to hand over video footage to a complainant who had been wrongfully arrested by three police officers in 2021. The Court also found Balhatchet to be in contempt of court. Noting that the law allowed him to be found personally liable for the disobedience, the Court observed that he could face up to two years in prison. [3] This judgement was the first time in British history that a chief constable was found in contempt of court. [4]