North Wales Police chief constable to retire after 30 years

North Wales Police Chief Constable Carl Foulkes will step down in October

The top police officer in north Wales has said he is "immensely proud" of his force after announcing he will retire.

Chief Constable Carl Foulkes is to step down in October after nearly 30 years in policing.

Originally from Caergwrle, near Wrexham, Mr Foulkes was appointed head of North Wales Police in 2018.

He said: "I genuinely never thought I would ever be an inspector never mind a chief constable and it has been a huge honour to lead [the force]."

After serving in the Royal Navy, he worked for British Transport Police before joining the West Midlands force and later served as deputy chief constable at Merseyside Police.

He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 2020 in recognition of three decades of public service.

"The past few years have been challenging for everyone, but the resilience, ability and willingness to adapt and change demonstrated by the entire workforce has never been more evident than during the pandemic and I am immensely proud of what we achieved," he said.

"I hope we have been able to make it a slightly better place for those who take over."

Mr Foulkes said he will work with Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin in the appointment of his successor but, more generally, said he would still encourage people to consider policing as an occupation.

He added: "Policing is very different to that which I joined, but it is a fantastic job that allows you to make a real difference and has such incredible variety. I would definitely do the same again."

PCC Andy Dunbobbin paid tribute to Mr Foulkes' "unwaveringly positive outlook" on the contribution effective policing can make to society.