DEVON and Cornwall’s police commissioner Alison Hernandez says an announcement will be made by the end of the week on the appointment of an interim Chief Constable for Devon and Cornwall Police.

Acting Chief Constable, Jim Colwell, remains suspended while an investigation continues into allegations of gross misconduct following a mandatory referral by the Commissioner to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Commissioner Hernandez said a recruitment process was continuing ‘at pace’ as she looked to return stability to policing across the two counties.

In a statement, she said: “I remain mindful of concerns among members of the force and our communities over the current leadership gap and am committed to resolving this as swiftly as possible and restoring stability to policing in Devon and Cornwall.

“Following a mandatory referral to the IOPC, I can confirm that no representations have been received from Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell and he remains suspended while investigations continue into allegations of gross misconduct.

“I am now progressing at pace with the recruitment of an interim Chief Constable using a panel interview process, supported by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Police and Fire & Rescue Services and the College of Policing. I have invited the chair and vice chair of the Police and Crime Panel to join me in this process as a confirmation hearing by the panel is not required.”