Cleveland Police Authority unveil new chief executive Stuart Pudney

Mr Pudney will hold the post for a fixed term until March 2013

Cleveland Police Authority, whose force is at the centre of corruption allegations, has appointed a new, £90,000-a-year chief executive.

In August, Chief Constable Sean Price and deputy Derek Bonnard were arrested on suspicion of corrupt practice.

In response, the authority said it wanted an "experienced manager" to see it though a period of major challenges.

Former deputy chief executive of North Yorkshire Police, Stuart Pudney, 44, will hold the post until March 2013.

Mr Price and Mr Bonnard are both currently on bail and suspended from their jobs pending an investigation which is being carried out by Warwickshire Police.

Financial pressures

In August, North Yorkshire Police Authority's chief executive Jeremy Holderness stepped in as the temporary chief executive for the Cleveland authority, which oversees the Cleveland force.

Mr Pudney, from Scarborough, has previously worked for North Yorkshire's trading standards department.

He said: "I have already learned that, despite the many real challenges facing the police service as a whole and Cleveland in particular, there is absolute determination across the entire authority and force to build on the achievements of recent years.

"We must also continue delivering high-quality policing to our local communities against a background of major financial pressures."

Authority chairman Peter Race added: "Stuart brings a wealth of experience in regulatory services, the police and local government.

"We have been very grateful for the willingness of North Yorkshire to provide assistance, but we always recognised it was a temporary arrangement and we needed to put in place a more permanent arrangement and provide stability during such challenging period."