GWENT’S police and crime commissioner Ian Johnston described claims he bullied the former chief constable as “nonsense”.

He denied storming out of a meeting where he asked Carmel Napier to retire and revealed to the Argus that the amount of money spent on legal advice is £16,522.50 including VAT.

The money was used to pay QC’s fees of £400 an hour and junior barrister’s fees of £175 per hour. Mr Johnston said his legal advisors were paid out of the office for police and crime commissioner budget.

Mr Johnston spoke to the Argus in a Westminster pub near the venue where he was quizzed by the home affairs select committee on Tuesday.

The influential group of MPs was taking evidence on the forced retirement of Mrs Napier by Mr Johnston, exclusively revealed by the Argus last month.

Mrs Napier said she felt bullied and threatened by Mr Johnston.

But the PCC said he read the contents of a note prepared by his legal team, paused and asked Mrs Napier if there was anything she wanted to say.

“She didn’t say anything,” he said.

Mr Johnston said it was “absolute nonsense” to suggest he was a bully – going on to highlighted the gender of the new assistant chief constable Lorraine Bottomley, and said he had a female chief executive who does “an excellent job”.

Mr Johnston contradicted claims by Mrs Napier that he had not raised concerns with her before May 23, saying they had one-on-one weekly meetings where he had done so.

The PCC insisted he had been professional, and said the option to go through the formal procedure had been there for the chief constable.

Mr Johnston asked why, if Mrs Napier felt she had been treated so badly, “didn’t she choose to go through the formal process?”

He said if the document detailing the circumstances surrounding her departure had not been leaked to the Argus “she could have retired with dignity”.

The PCC denied the six month notice period was a pay-off, saying it was an agreed term of notice in her contract.

Wayne David, Labour MP for Caerphilly and shadow justice minister, said: “I am deeply shocked and worried about what Mrs Napier has said today. Accusations of bullying and menacing behaviour must be of concern to everyone.”

Mr David branded a comment about the select committee hearing on the Gwent PCC’s Twitter feed as “silly”.

A tweet sent from the Gwent PCC account suggested Gwent MPs “planted”

North Wales Labour MP Chris Ruane on the home affairs select committee, to grill him about the forced retirement of Mrs Napier.

Mr David said: “It’s a silly comment. Chris Ruane was there was a member of the committee in his own right.”

Mr Johnston was not available for comment on this matter before the Argus went to press last night.