Wiltshire Police will have a new Deputy Chief Constable as of March 5.

In the wake of Chief Constable Mike Veale’s appointment at Cleveland Police, current Assistant Chief Constable Kier Pritchard will become Temporary Chief Constable and he has now appointed Paul Mills, who is also currently an Assistant Chief Constable, as Temporary Deputy Chief Constable.

Mr Pritchard said: “I’m delighted to be able to announce that Paul Mills will become Temporary Deputy Chief Constable as of 5 March.

“Paul is a highly regarded colleague who I have worked alongside as a chief officer in our force since 2014.

“The appointment of a deputy provides additional stability to the Senior Leadership Team in the force and will allow us to continue to work closely with the Police and Crime Commissioner in meeting the priorities he has set for the force within his Police and Crime Plan. Central to this is our Community Policing Team approach which I believe is the core of what British policing represents.”

Mr Mills added: “I am delighted to step up to the role of Temporary Deputy Chief Constable. I am pleased to be able to support T/Chief Constable Kier Pritchard as he steps up to undertake his new role and look forward to working with him to provide consistency of leadership and direction to the Force moving forward.

“Having transferred to Wiltshire 11 years ago, I have developed a strong affinity with the county and look forward to continuing to develop positive working relationships with our dedicated staff and partners who all help to make the county one of the safest places to live and work in the UK.”