Humberside police chief retires

David Westwood, chief constable of Humberside Police, is stepping down at the end of March as a result of a compromise with former Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Mr Westwood’s force was strongly criticised in Sir Michael Bichard’s report into the killings of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, for not passing on information about their killer Ian Huntley.

Mr Blunkett suspended the police chief following the report, but with the backing of his police authority Mr Westwood refused to resign sparking a stand-off that ended up in the high court.

Mr Westwood was forced by the court to back down, and is now retiring a year earlier than planned. He will be replaced as Humberside police chief by Tim Hollis.