Jon Boutcher picked as preferred candidate to be PSNI interim chief constable

Jon Boutcher, the former police chief of Bedfordshire, has been identified as the preferred candidate to become interim chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the PA news agency understands.

Any appointment is subject to final agreement.

The Policing Board conducted a recruitment process earlier this week, with the recommendation of Mr Boutcher passed to the Department of Justice and Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris.

Mr Boutcher has recently been conducting an investigation into the activities of Stakeknife, the Army’s top agent in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

The Operation Kenova report is expected to be published in the coming months.

Last week the board, the oversight body for the PSNI, announced that it had begun recruitment processes for both a permanent and an interim chief constable.

The vacancy arose following the resignation of previous chief constable Simon Byrne following a number of controversies.

These included a significant data breach in which the personal details of all officers and staff were mistakenly published online and a critical High Court ruling which said that two junior officers had been unlawfully disciplined.

PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton is currently leading the PSNI, although he is not at his desk following a medical procedure.

A Policing Board spokesperson said: “The board has agreed the appointment of an interim chief constable for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

“The appointment is now subject to due diligence checks and ministerial approval.”