Nick Gargan confirmed as Avon and Somerset Chief Constable

Nick Gargan is expected to take up his post in March

Nick Gargan has been officially confirmed as the new Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police.

His appointment was ratified earlier after he was chosen by new Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens.

Mr Gargan, the former chief constable and chief executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), is due to start work on 1 March.

He replaces Colin Port who is retiring at the end of the month after refusing to re-apply for his own job.

Mr Gargan's appointment was officially confirmed by a meeting of the force's police and crime panel following his selection last week.

'Turbulent time'

The selection process was threatened when the current chief constable, Mr Port, mounted a legal challenge to the decision by the commissioner to open up his job for interview when his existing contract runs out on 26 January.

Mr Port's application for an injunction to stop the selection process for his successor was refused by a high court judge.

Mr Gargan, who is also a previous assistant chief constable of the Thames Valley force, said it had been a "turbulent time" but he hoped to repay the confidence of the PCC and the panel through "hard work and common sense".

He said: "I acknowledge the contribution of Colin Port - we go back a long way and I have nothing but respect for him and his achievements.

"But I do understand that as the new chief, people will be looking at me to settle things down and basically just get on with the job."