Tim Forber,  the current deputy chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, has been named as the preferred candidate to become the next chief constable of North Yorkshire Police.

Zoë Metcalfe, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for York and North Yorkshire, today announced she had identified Mr Forber to succeed Lisa Winward, who is retiring from the £154,000-a-year role at the end of March next year.

The appointment has been mired in controversy because Ms Metcalfe's role will be abolished shortly after the candidate she hired is appointed.

The commissioner's role will be taken over by whoever is elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire in May 2024.

It means the new mayor will inherit a chief constable they didn't appoint.

Ms Metcalfe rejected advice to delay the appointment by North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel, which scrutinises her performance.

The Conservative commissioner has also complained about Tory mayoral candidate Keane Duncan, who she claimed used “inappropriate language” to influence her chief constable recruitment. An investigation found no wrongdoing.

Today Ms Metcalfe's office issued a statement which said Mr Forber had been selected "following a robust recruitment process" that ended yesterday.

The two-day process on December 11 and 12 involved a presentation to local internal and external stakeholders, a media exercise and a panel interview. It also included candidates having to design a presentation based on the results of an online survey conducted by Ms Metcalfe.

'The right qualities'

Mr Forber said:

Read more:

• Police commissioner Zoe Metcalfe rejects appointing interim chief constable


• Commissioner complains over Tory mayoral candidate ‘inappropriate language’ claim


• North Yorkshire chief constable announces retirement