Cambridgeshire’s new Chief Constable has been confirmed as Nick Dean who had been the preferred choice for the job by Police and Crime Commissioner Jason Ablewhite.

The county’s police and crime panel has now endorsed his choice and Mr Dean, currently Deputy Chief Constable of Norfolk, will take over as Chief Constable at the end of September when the current boss Alec Wood retires.

Mr Ablewhite said: “I am delighted to be able to appoint Nick Dean as the new Chief Constable for Cambridgeshire.

“When I set out on this process, it was important that I recruited a chief officer who could bring the vision, determination and resilience required to lead the constabulary.

“Nick performed very well throughout the whole assessment process and demonstrated great leadership skills. His understanding and inclusive approach to partnership working puts him in a good place to support the priorities in my Police and Crime Plan.”

Mr Ablewhite said: “As a visionary Chief Constable, Nick will build on the excellent work undertaken by his predecessor, Alec Wood, to continuously innovate and improve the quality of the county’s police service whilst also protecting our communities and meeting public expectations. His energy and passion will help us meet the challenges ahead.”

Mr Dean’s career began at Norfolk Constabulary in 1992 after serving with the Royal Air Force in the county.

Deputy Chief Constable since September 2016, one of his biggest successes was to develop and implement Norfolk’s Ethics and Integrity Board which received praise from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services in their recent inspection programme.

Mr Dean was also responsible for overseeing Norfolk’s new policing model and has continued to lead on the county’s response to rural crime.

Mr Dean said: “It is a privilege to be appointed the next Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire.

“Throughout the process I have been made to feel welcome and look forward to building on the leadership provided by Alec Wood over the past few years. It is both an exciting and challenging opportunity and one which I am really looking forward to.”

He added: “Cambridgeshire is an excellent force and although sorry to leave Norfolk, I am know that I am inheriting a professional and committed organisation who have the communities of Cambridgeshire in their hearts.”

Alec Wood will continue in his role as Chief Constable until the end of September 2018 when Nick will take o