Peace-building expert Lindy Cameron appointed to NI Office

Lindy Cameron has worked in conflict zones like Afghanistan and Iraq

A civil servant who has worked in conflict zones including Afghanistan and Iraq has been appointed director general of the Northern Ireland Office.

Lindy Cameron will be second in command to permanent secretary Sir Jonathan Stephens.

She was born in NI and her father Craig was a founding member of Corrymeela Peace and Reconciliation Centre.

She has worked for the Cabinet Office, Foreign Office and Department for International Development (DFID)

Most recently she has been DFID's director general for country programmes.

That role made her responsible for overseeing the department's programmes in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and UK Overseas Territories.

She was deputy director of DFID Afghanistan from 2006 to 2007 and was later director of the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team in the country from 2009 to 2010.

The Northern Ireland office has offices in London and Belfast and employed a total of 157 staff as of June 2018.