New chief fire officer for Staffordshire confirmed

Rob Barber (l) and Chris Noble (r) have new roles following appointments by Ben Adams (centre)

A new chief fire officer for Staffordshire has been appointed.

Rob Barber, currently Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service's deputy chief, joined the service in 1997.

He has worked throughout the county in operational roles and brings a "wealth of experience", says Ben Adams, Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime.

Mr Barber will take the reins when current chief fire officer Becci Bryant retires this month.

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The appointment of Chris Noble as the new chief constable of Staffordshire Police was also ratified by Mr Adams on Tuesday.

Mr Noble said it was a privilege to be appointed, adding that after a challenging 18 months for the public and police, he was looking forward to "improving our local policing service by putting communities, partnerships, and most importantly victims of crime, at the heart of everything we do".