FORMER Andover police chief Alastair McWhirter has reached the highest rank in his profession after being made Chief Constable of Suffolk.
Mr McWhirter was superintendent of the Andover division immediately before the appointment of Keith Cockburn in 1994.
He left Hampshire Constabulary in June 1996 to become the Assistant Chief Constable of Wilt-shire and takes up his new position in East Anglia in the New Year, although an exact date has yet to be fixed.
He replaces Paul Scott-Lee who became chief Constable of West Midlands Police in September.
Mr McWhirter said: "I am very sorry to leave Wiltshire where I have been extremely happy and where my family have enjoyed living and working.
"I am delighted to be selected as chief constable. "There was fierce competition for this job, because Suffolk is a top performing police force."
Mr McWhirter, aged 49, began his police career with the Hampshire Cons-tabulary in 1977, where he rose to the rank of chief superintendent until his transfer to Wiltshire.
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