A NEW chief inspector for policing in Warrington has been appointed.

Neil Drum has been appointed to the role on a temporary basis by Cheshire Police, with previous chief inspector Simon Meegan having taken the reins as temporary superintendent.

Inspector Drum first joined the force in 1997, and became the town’s neighbourhood inspector in 2015.

Since last year, he has also been the head of Cheshire Police’s Warrington problem-solving team.

The dad-of-two, whose wife Jayne is also a serving officer, said: “I have served with Cheshire Constabulary for 23 years, and I am incredibly proud to have been given the opportunity of chief inspector at Warrington – where I have spent the majority of my service.

“Being part of the local policing unit already, I know the team already do a brilliant job protecting the community and I will continue to work alongside them to help make it an even safer place to live, work and visit.

“I will ensure we maintain an effective service during these current challenging times and going forward.

“We will continue to target those that cause our communities harm and prey upon the vulnerable, and do our utmost to make Warrington a hostile place for those intent on perpetrating crime and anti-social behaviour.

“It is a privilege to work within the local policing unit and serve with dedicated, professional and hardworking officers and police staff and I look forward to delivering in this role.”