SFO's ex-chief Alderman criticised over £1m of payments

The former head of the Serious Fraud Office has been heavily criticised for allegedly sanctioning almost £1m of severance payments to three departing colleagues without getting the necessary approvals.

Richard Alderman is taken to task over the "irregular" payments in a report by Tim Hurdle, a senior civil servant at the Treasury Solicitor's Office, the Telegraph reports. The report was commissioned by Mr Alderman's successor, David Green, who wanted to know why the SFO's former chief executive Philippa Williamson left with a severance package of £464,905, while ex-chief capability officer Chris Bailes received £473,167 and ex-technology head Ian McCall got £49,885. The exit package for Ms Williamson, which the report notes amounted to "some three and a quarter times her salary", wa...