Cleveland Police chief Jacqui Cheer to step down

Jacqui Cheer joined Cleveland Police in 2011

Cleveland Police chief constable Jacqui Cheer has announced she is to retire from policing after 32 years' service.

Mrs Cheer took over from the previous chief constable, Sean Price, in 2013 after he was sacked for misconduct.

She will leave the force when her current contract comes to an end in March next year.

She said she feared her successor would have "more difficult times ahead" with increasing levels of demand on policing and further frontline cuts predicted.

"I'm extremely proud of what we have achieved at Cleveland Police in restructuring the force to meet the challenges of financial constraint," she said.

'Loss felt'

Cleveland's police and crime commissioner Barry Coppinger said: "Jacqui has been a huge asset to the police service and has been an inspiring, transformational leader for Cleveland Police.

"When she retires next year, the loss of her breadth and depth of experience will be as keenly felt throughout policing as it will be within Cleveland Police."

She began her career in 1984 as a police constable for Essex Police where she successfully rose through the ranks before becoming assistant and deputy chief constable for Suffolk Constabulary.

She moved to Cleveland in 2011.