THREE new senior staff members have been appointed to join the team at Wiltshire Police.

Mark Cooper, currently serving at Dorset Police will start his role as assistant chief constable for crime and justice on Monday May 20, while Maggie Blyth, currently serving at Hampshire Police, will take on the role of ACC for local policing on Tuesday June 4.

Chris McMullin has been appointed as the director for people and change, a position within the force’s executive leadership team.

Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said: “I am delighted to welcome Maggie, Mark and Chris into these roles. This was a rigorous recruitment process with a strong shortlist for all three positions, but they stood out as exemplary candidates, thanks to their knowledge, skills and experience.

“As everyone knows, the past year has been particularly challenging for Wiltshire Police, given the events in Salisbury and Amesbury, and I have complete confidence that these new members of our executive leadership team will, with their colleagues, continue to provide the strong leadership and stability we need to move forward.

“I know they are all looking forward to starting their new roles, meeting our officers and staff, and getting to know the communities in Swindon and Wiltshire.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon Angus Macpherson said: “I would like to congratulate all three candidates on their appointments and look forward to working closely with them to continue to lead Wiltshire Police in the right direction. Strong leadership requires a mix of skills and experience and, from what I have been told, each of these three will bring something new and important to the leadership team at Wiltshire Police.

“I'm also pleased to hear that the recruitment process was competitive.This is a good force to work for and the last 12 months have illustrated what the force is capable of achieving.”