Background
Police officers serving with the UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary had no statutory right to representation. Joining a trade union was not permitted in their terms and conditions of employment (unlike officers in Home Office forces, CNC officers are employees). While the UK Atomic Energy Police Federation provided support, the organisation was not constructed by statute.
The force had been in existence for almost fifty years when the government of the day decided it should be separated from the Atomic Energy Authority. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA), and the Civil Nuclear Police Federation (CNPF) were established as of 1 April 2005 by the Energy Act of the previous year.
Office holders
2005 - Barry Wright was the first full-time General Secretary of the new Civil Nuclear Police Federation. The first Chair was Bob Bean; at the time, his was a part-time position.
2008 - Nigel Dennis became the General Secretary.
2010 - Nigel Dennis was appointed CEO (see below), and Peter Storey was elected as Chair.
2012 - Mark Nelson was elected as Chair, while Peter Storey became Treasurer.
2018 - Mark Nelson retired.
2019 - Gary Thwaite was elected as Chair.
2020 - Nigel Dennis retired. Gary became CEO and Ian Muir was elected as Chair. Darren Adams was elected as Vice-Chair (a part-time position).
2023 - Darren Adams became the Federation’s full-time Vice Chair.
2024 - Darren Adams became Chair, and Ian moved to the role of Vice Chair.
2025 - Gary Thwaite stood down.
2025 - Colin Longstaff was elected as CEO.
2010 - Professionalising the Federation
With little in the way of a structure in place, during his first few years in post, Nigel Dennis worked alone. The Government had determined that the Chief Constable of the new Civil Nuclear Constabulary would also be the CEO of the organisation, and Nigel believed this needed to be mirrored in the Federation.
CNC’s chief officers had their own legal and HR teams, and on the staff side, the Prospect union had regional and national officers, as well as access to legal advice. With no ‘equality of arms’, Nigel engaged the Energy Minister, explaining the imbalance and highlighting the need to change the Force/Federation relationship to one of partners, in the context of industrial relations.
This first period of negotiation ultimately resulted in the CNPA affording the Federation two full-time officials, a CEO and a Chair, enabling a more robust representation of the force’s Federated ranks.
The early years of this new Federation model marked the start of a more meaningful approach to consultation. Nigel Dennis, Mark Nelson, and Peter Storey worked closely with Chief Constable Richard Thompson, whose extensive experience in both the military and civil service was a valuable asset in Whitehall. Where possible, they collaborated to enhance CNC’s status.
Photo: from left to right are Nigel Dennis, Lord Marland (the then Energy Minister), CC Richard Thompson, Baroness Angela Smith, who is now the Leader of the House of Lords, and Peter Storey.
2011 - The start of the pension challenge
In 2011, the new Pensions Act came into effect, setting the retirement age at 65. Subsequently, the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 determined that this would not apply to fire and rescue workers who are firefighters, members of a police force, and members of the armed forces.
However, the Pensions Act definition of a police force excluded the Civil Nuclear Constabulary from this legislation, meaning CNC officers would have to work until they were 65, and eventually 68, to receive their pension.
The Federation mounted a legal challenge, which went all the way to the High Court.
2012 - Introduction of Member Services
While the early years of the new Federation were occupied with contractual matters, terms and conditions, pay, and pensions, the small team began to engage with organisations that could provide additional support to Federation members and police staff.
In doing so, the CNPF were aligning those additional services enjoyed by colleagues in other UK-wide Police Federations. The first member service offered was a Group Insurance scheme provided by Philip Williams and Co. Insurance.
After lengthy discussions with the Police Treatment Centres charity, CNC officers were able to sign up to make a monthly donation, allowing them to access first-class physiotherapy and recuperative treatments at the charity’s centres in Perthshire and North Yorkshire. Since then, many more companies have joined the Federation’s member service offer, and the range of products, offers and services continues to grow.
In addition to offering first-class treatment and rehabilitation for injured members, the Police Treatment Centres assisted the Federation in demonstrating the physical impact of the body armour CNC officers wear. This supported the Federation’s work to achieve pay parity and provided crucial evidence in the Federation’s long-running pension challenge.
2013 - The Capenhurst Five
In late 2012, the decision was made to discontinue armed policing at Capenhurst, Springfields, and Chapelcross. Having previously used the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment), or TUPE, as it is known, to move officers from the UKAEA to the new Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the employer, the CNPA, anticipated that a similar process would be followed to redeploy officers at these four sites.
Given the officers’ status as Police Officers and their holding of the office of Constable, and with concerns regarding the impact on them, their entitlements and pensions, the Federation sought specialist legal advice. Binder Bansel, who continues to advise the Federation to this day, ruled out the use of TUPE because the roles to which the affected officers would be moved were not of equal status.
Months of challenges and negotiations followed, involving the CNC, the CNPA, and the Government. Active lobbying of senior politicians from across the Parliamentary estate was becoming an effective strategy. The result was that the officers were not subject to TUPE. Many were given the option to move on a public interest transfer to a location of their choice. But for some, another challenge lay ahead.
Several officers from these sites were approaching an age where they no longer wanted to be deployed as police firearms officers. While this had been viewed by the employer as ”custom and practice” for many years, crucially, their contract of employment didn’t specify they must carry a firearm. Again, the Federation sought legal advice and supported a test case, The Capenhurst Five.
Two complaints out of the five were upheld, including that the officers were unlawfully dismissed and subjected to a detriment. Following the tribunal, all five cases were settled with sums awarded to the claimants in addition to the settlement demanded through their employment contracts. This case also changed the contractual landscape within CNC.
Photo: CC Mike Griffiths presents a certificate of service to a colleague who had served at Capenhurst. Duncan Worsell can be seen in the background.
2014 - Journey to pay parity
Another issue that featured heavily throughout Nigel Dennis’ tenure as CEO was pay parity. Despite the Federation’s best efforts, limited progress had been made. The arrival of Simon Chesterman as the force’s new Deputy Chief Constable, under the direction of Mike Griffiths, Chief Constable, and Vic Emery, the then Chairman of the CNPA, led to discussions around fitness testing, which created an environment for the Federation to once again champion pay parity.
The Federation’s view was that if, like their Home Office colleagues, CNC officers are required to maintain a certain level of fitness for the period they carry a firearm and their fitness is to be tested, they should be paid the same as colleagues around the country. At the time, CNC officers were paid 95% of a Home Office salary, as determined by the 1979 Wright Report.
As the debate over fitness testing continued, the Federation sought expert guidance while CNC sought support from external advisors. More than 200 officers participated in studies to determine the most appropriate testing regime. It was a challenging time for the Federation but a crucial step towards achieving pay parity.
2016 - Federation pension challenge dismissed
While most UK police officers could retire at 60, the omission of the CNC from new pensions legislation would mean officers working to 65 in the near future. The Federation mounted a campaign against this change, petitioning the High Court through a judicial review to rule that its officers should be exempt from the retirement age increase.
Mrs Justice Nicola Davies dismissed the case in August 2016 on the sole issue that CNC was not a police force as defined by the new Pensions Act. However, the win for the Federation was the Government’s lawyers accepting that the Government had yet to determine the appropriate retirement age for CNC Police Officers and that this issue was still in discussion between the relevant Government Departments.
2017 - Pay parity is achieved
In November 2017, the Government announced the end of a 38-year-old policy that meant CNC officers were paid five per cent less than other officers of the same rank. This rule was recommended in the 1979 Wright Report, which determined the percentage of what was then seen as ‘the policing role’ that the CNC performed.
The government’s announcement marked the end of years of negotiation and lobbying by the Federation, which had successfully argued that the CNC's model of policing had undergone significant changes since the Wright Report era.
Photo: NIgel Dennis and CC Simon Chesterman sign the pay parity agreement.
2019 - The pension challenge reaches Westminster
Engagement with MPs and Ministers is a crucial yet underappreciated aspect of the Federation’s role. Following its High Court defeat in 2017, the Federation continued to campaign against the proposed change to the retirement age for its members.
This approach kept the issue on the agenda, and in March 2019, Patricia Gibson, the MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, raised a debate on CNC pension issues in Parliament.
The then Energy Minister, Richard Harrington, took the view that the Federation’s challenge was credible and had merit. A turning point was the letter of support he wrote to HM Treasury, the final decision-makers in this matter.
Photo: Nigel Dennis (left) and Mark Nelson (right) are pictured with Patricia Gibson MP.
2020 - Nigel Dennis retires
After leading the CNPF for over a decade, Nigel Dennis gave notice of his intention to retire from policing in the CNC. Subsequently, he was appointed to the Head Office of the European Confederation of Police.
Gary Thwaite was appointed as the national Chair of CNPF in 2019, becoming the Chief Executive Officer in the following year. Gary Thwaite joined the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in 2007.
He initially worked at Chapelcross Power Station in Scotland, later moving to Sellafield, where he served as an Authorised Firearms Officer and Operational Firearms Commander, holding various roles and serving on multiple teams. Gary was an active Police Federation representative and had been elected Chair of the Sellafield Branch from 2016 to 2019.
Photo: Gary Thwaite (left) and NIgel Dennis (right) are pictured with Lord Harrington.
2020 - Police Covenant
Plans for a Police Covenant were announced in February 2020. This would create a statutory duty for forces to support serving and retired police officers, staff and volunteers. It focuses on protection, health, and wellbeing, along with assistance for families, and requires the Home Secretary to report annually to Parliament.
Within weeks, it was suggested that non-Home Office forces would be dealt with through a Memorandum of Understanding, meaning the requirement for reporting to Parliament would not apply in the same way as for Home Office forces.
This prompted concern amongst staff associations. CNPF joined with colleagues from the British Transport Police Federation and Defence Police Federation to appeal to Ministers to include their forces in the Covenant.
2020 - The COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic was a defining moment for many organisations, including the police. It changed the way both CNPF and CNC worked.
Throughout the pandemic, the Federation represented members' interests to all command groups, ensuring welfare was paramount. Early on, the Federation had concerns about PPE and COVID testing and worked closely with other Federations and staff associations to pressure the Government for clarity and action.
Internally, the Federation worked with the force to communicate new policing powers and policy changes. Meanwhile, pensions lobbying was still ongoing. The Federation continued to hold regular meetings with MPs, but these meetings were conducted via Teams.
2020 - The implementation of pay parity
The resolution of pay parity marked the beginning of a lengthy process of change. Pay parity meant reflecting the full Winsor terms and conditions seen in Home Office forces. CNC didn’t just adopt pay; they assimilated pay scales. With challenges such as a pay freeze and disparity between officers on different courses, this process took time and considerable negotiations.
CNC officers had been on the old UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary terms, which were linked to police pay but also the nuclear industry. Working with HR, the Federation had to review the old Conditions of Employment manual to ensure it could be updated legally and restructured as Policies and Employment Procedures. Again, this was a period of consultation and negotiation to modernise the force and bring it in line with broader policing.
2021 - Investing in representation
One of Gary Thwaite’s initial priorities was to review the staffing and structure of the Federation as well as the training offered to volunteer Federation reps.
At the time, there were only two representatives trained in Post-Incident Procedures, which was insufficient for a predominantly armed force. There was also a need to train representatives to perform the crucial Federation Friend role, enabling them to guide and support colleagues through conduct and performance proceedings.
A course was developed, and over time, Reps training was expanded to include health and safety and officer wellbeing. As the force was modernising, the Federation needed to change too.
2021 - Police Covenant
After a period of lobbying and campaigning by CNPF, British Transport Police Federation and Defence Police Federation, changes to the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 were announced, which would see CNC (and the other non-Home Office forces) included in the Police Covenant.
This was welcomed by the three organisations, who, the following year, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise closer working on matters affecting their members serving in non-Home Office forces. This includes pay and conditions, pensions, fitness testing, conduct and performance.
This ultimately led to closer collaboration with other national Federations, such as the Police Federation for Northern Ireland and the Scottish Police Federation, on areas of common ground, including pay, officer conduct, and wellbeing.
Photo: from left to right are Ian Muir, Eamon Keating (Defence Police Federation), Nigel Goodband and Stuart Cowan (British Transport Police Federation), Gary Thwaite, and Mitch Batt (Defence Police Federation).
2023 - Third full-time rep post approved
Increased demand for Federation representation, particularly in respect of conduct issues, led to the organisation making a business case for a third full-time position.
All Police Federations were experiencing a significant increase in conduct cases, and the same was true for CNPF. Gary Thwaite and Ian Muir went from handling two or three cases per year to over forty cases in just a few months. The Federation needed to build the capacity to represent officers effectively and train more reps to provide colleagues with support and guidance.
After a period of consultation, the additional position was agreed upon. Darren Adams, who had been serving as Vice Chair on a part-time basis since 2020, transitioned into the role full-time.
Photo: from left to right are Ian Muir, Gary Thwaite and Darren Adams.
2024 - Angiolini Inquiry
The long-awaited review by Dame Elish Angiolini called for a radical overhaul of the police vetting process.
In the time since the shocking murder of Sarah Everard, the Federation had worked with CNC to improve vetting and professional standards. The organisation pledged to continue working with the Force’s leadership team – and the broader police service – to rebuild the public’s trust and confidence in policing.
2024 - Vetting APP consultation
Given the questions raised about vetting practices in the first report from the Angiolini Inquiry, the CNPF contributed to the College of Policing review into the Police Vetting Authorised Professional Practice.
As a non-Home Office force, the CNC – and indeed, the CNPF – is not routinely invited to participate in all consultation processes. The Federation’s submission highlighted the need for a consistent and robust regulatory process that gives confidence to the public and provides a fair and legally compliant process to all parties involved.
New vetting standards for potential and serving police officers and staff were introduced at the end of 2024.
2024 - Unsocial allowance finalised
The final aspect of full pay parity to be resolved came in October 2024. When CNC adopted the recommendations of the Windsor report in 2017, budget constraints meant the unsocial hours allowance (10%) was not introduced in full.
At the time, the Federation had negotiated half of the shift allowance, which equated to five hours. During 2023/24 the Federation again lobbied the force, who ultimately agreed to increase the allowance from October 2024 to eight hours unsocial hours payment. This increased to the full ten hours (between 8pm and 65am) on 1 April 2025.
2024 - Pension challenge resolved
In November 2024, it was announced that the future pension arrangements of Civil Nuclear Police Officers would change to the Civil Service Alpha Scheme in 2026.
Insights into the Ministry of Defence Police’s pension negotiations encouraged CNPF to put the proposal for a move to the Alpha scheme to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). In the view of the Federation, the Alpha Scheme represented a better pension that would be more flexible and modern than any of the less viable alternatives. The Federation continued lobbying while ministers assessed the options.
This significant outcome resolved more than a decade of negotiations between the Federation, the CNC Executive, the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, and DESNZ. It will enable members to build a healthy retirement income within the Alpha Scheme through what is known as EPA or Effective Pension Age.
At the time of publication (April 2025), an information and education programme about the new pension arrangements is being rolled out.
2024 - Gary Thwaite stands down
Having helped to resolve the longstanding pensions challenge, Gary Thwaite chose to step down from the Federation and return to uniform policing. Colin Longstaff was elected as the Civil Nuclear Police Federation’s third CEO at the organisation’s biannual conference.
Colin joined the UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary in February 2001, having previously served in the RAF and the prison service. He was stationed at Sellafield, where he worked as an AFO/dog handler before transferring to Heysham in 2006. A promotion to sergeant followed, and Colin later moved back to Sellafield in 2011 as a shift Inspector. In 2013, he was promoted to Chief Inspector Operations. Colin spent several years at Heysham and Hartlepool before becoming the Senior Operational Lead of the Mission Programme in 2021.
Photo: Gary Thwaite and Colin Longstaff.
The future...
As the Federation marks its 20th anniversary, Colin Longstaff, Darren Adams, the Federation’s Chair and Vice Chair, Ian Muir, face new challenges and opportunities as they work to represent the interests of some 1300 members, including Ministry of Defence Police colleagues who will be joining CNC later this month.
This history has been compiled with the kind assistance of current and former Federation reps. Recollections may vary, and memories fade; therefore, we welcome input from members and colleagues who can contribute to this timeline. Please get in touch with us if you can assist.