Nikki Watson appointed Northamptonshire chief fire officer

Nikki Watson has been confirmed as the new chief fire officer for Northamptonshire

A former senior police officer who is being investigated by the police watchdog has been appointed as a new county fire chief.

Nikki Watson will be the new chief fire officer for Northamptonshire.

The county's police, fire and crime panel appointed Ms Watson subject to "completion of due diligence checks".

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has renewed its opposition to her appointment and said local people had been "failed" by the panel.

In a report published on Thursday, West Northamptonshire Council officer James Edmunds said the panel "generally commented" that she "could bring to it a range of relevant skills and experience".

"This included significant experience of strategic leadership in emergency services and of working collaboratively with partners in that sector and beyond," he added.

'Without substance'

The panel - which is made up mainly of councillors - met and discussed the appointment on Tuesday.

The county's police, fire and crime commissioner Stephen Mold told the panel that Ms Watson, the former deputy chief constable of Avon and Somerset Police, was his preferred candidate.

He said there was "no criminal element" to the complaint being investigated by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).

The IOPC matter was "without substance" and arose after she was chosen as the preferred candidate, Mr Mold continued.

However, Mr Mold said Ms Watson would not be appointed into the role until the matter was resolved and the vetting was completed.

A Conservative councillor on the panel, André González de Savage, previously said he received more than 200 emails and phone calls from firefighters and the public opposing the choice.

The PFCC Stephen Mold said the IOPC matter concerning Ms Watson was "without substance"

FBU executive council member for the East Midlands, Adam Taylor, said after the announcement: "Councillors received a staggering 2,000 emails calling for the veto of this appointment.

"It's clear that the public stands with firefighters in expecting accountability and integrity."

The FBU has complained that she has no operational experience in firefighting.

The previous chief fire officer Mark Jones stepped down suddenly in July 2023 after a year in the post, and his successor Nicci Marzec left her interim chief officer post last July after only 10 days.