THE appointment of the new chief executive for the Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner has been unanimously approved.

Barry Coppinger chose his former colleague Ed Chicken, Middlesbrough Council's head of community protection, for the role and he comes on a one-year secondment after the Police and Crime Panel agreed the appointment.

Mr Coppinger said: “I believe that my first meeting with the Police and Crime Panel bodes well for an effective relationship and that we can work together for the benefit of the people whom I—and they—represent.

“An indication of that was the constructive and supportive’ approach taken by the panel members in the confirmation meeting for my proposal to appoint Ed Chicken, on a year’s secondment, as my chief executive, operating on day-to-day basis under the title of chief of staff.”

Mr Coppinger also reiterated that he would not be appointing either ‘deputy’ or ‘assistant’ commissioners and that he would be stepping down as a Middlesbrough councillor in the New Year but pointed out that in the meantime claiming no payments from the council.

Interviews for the role of permanent chief constable for the force are to take place in January.