TIMELINE * IN January last year North Wales Police Authority members received a confidential report revealing three female members of staff at Colwyn Bay Police headquarters had made complaints of bullying against deputy chief constable Bill Brereton. Copies of the report were leaked to Mold-based freelance journalist Elwyn Roberts and to the BBC. The report suggested there should be an independent investigation of the allegations against Mr Brereton - and a statement should be made to the press. But the report's contents made the front page of the Daily Post before the authority had even considered it. Mr Brereton's wife Jacqui wrote to chief constable Richard Brunstrom to complain. She also wrote to Police Authority chairman Malcom King. The contents of her strictly confidential letter were also leaked to the press. Chief constable Richard Brunstrom announced there would be a full investigation to find the "mole" who leaked the report. Mr Roberts, who had no idea who sent the documents, was visited by the man running the inquiry, Detecting Supt Chris Corcoran, who had a search warrant. With Mr Roberts' co-operation police went to his Mold office, seized a copy of the report and took away the envelope in which it had been sent. * In mid February, Mr Brunstrom warned police authority members they may be fingerprinted and DNA-tested as part of the criminal investigation. The unprecedented warning also advised them they could not refuse since it was a criminal investigation into malfeasance, of wrongdoing, in public office. Records of phone calls from the police headquarters to Mr Roberts' office were also understood to have been scrutinised. * A few days later, Plaid Cymru MP Elfyn Llwyd called on chief constable Brunstrom to stop his search for the mole and believed the move by Mr Brunstrom to ask police authority members to give DNA samples and fingerprints showed a lack of trust in his political masters. * In May, Det Supt Corcoran had a fruitless journey to the News of the World offices in London to find out from journalist Dominic Herbert who was the source of a story which revealed the contents of a letter from Jacqui Brereton to Mr Brunstrom. * On July 13 came news ex-chief superintendent Peter Bolton had been suspended two weeks earlier from his £30,000-a-year job as assistant clerk at the police authority as part of the "mole investigation". Mr Bolton, 51, of Bryn Castell, Abergele, denied acting improperly. Detectives also searched a number of premises including the homes of police authority clerk Kelvin Dent and Mr Bolton, who was suspended from his duties on full pay. * The following day it was revealed deputy chief constable Bill Brereton, 49, who had been on sick leave following a suicide attempt last September would retire, ending the investigation into the bullying allegations. * On July 28, Mr Bolton, one-time police press officer, made his first appearance in Wrexham Magistrates' Court charged with leaking the report between January 15 and January 21. * On August 25 Mr Bolton appeared at Mold Crown Court where it was agreed the trial would take place out of the North Wales area, in Chester Crown Court. | 
