Warwickshire Police could be set to have its first female Chief Constable, as Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe has announced that Debbie Tedds is his preferred candidate to fill the position.

Subject to the approval of Warwickshire's Police and Crime Panel, she will succeed current Chief Constable Martin Jelley QPM when he retires at the end of June, to become the first female head of the force in its 164-year history.

The announcement comes after a two-day selection process which included the Commissioner, other members of the police, county councillors, the Chief Fire Officer, local partners and residents.

PCC Seccombe, who was re-elected in May, said: "I'm delighted to be able to announce Debbie Tedds as my preferred candidate to be the next Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police. She has experience at every level within the force and, as the first female Chief Constable, this will be an appointment of historic significance.

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"Choosing the right person to drive forward the development of policing in the county must count as the single biggest decision I've had to make during my five years as Commissioner.

"It was important that we had an open and transparent process to select our next Chief Constable, so that the local community, partners and police officers and staff from a wide range of roles, ranks and grades from across the force had the chance to contribute and ensure that the best outcome was achieved.

"The feedback from all has been very positive and I'd like to publicly thank everyone who took part, as their input was very valuable in making a final decision."

The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel will hold a confirmation hearing on June 11 to consider a report from the Commissioner recommending T/DCC Tedds as the next Chief Constable.

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