HAMPSHIRE's new chief con-stable has pledged "I'm here for at least seven years."

High-flyer Paul Kernaghan, who at 43 will become the one of the youngest police bosses in the country when he takes up his new post later this year, today told the Daily Echo he was looking forward to "the ultimate professional challenge" of his first com-mand of a constabulary.

Ulsterman Mr Kernaghan, currently deputy chief constable of North Yorkshire, travelled to Winchester last night to prepare for a meeting later this morning where he was due to be formally introduced to the police authority - the force's ruling body.

The new appointment, which will only take effect on the retirement of current chief constable Sir John Hoddinott in September, has already been welcomed by rank-and-file officers.

And before the meeting he told the Daily Echo that despite his meteoric rise through the ranks of three different police forces, he was now hoping to firmly put down roots in the South.

He said: "I view this appointment as extremely fortuitous for myself and for my family. My wife Mary and I have an 11-year-old daughter and she will be starting senior school in September.

"It's important to me that her education is not disrupted so it's part of my gameplan to stay here at least until her schooling is completed, and hopefully long afterwards."

He said the main priorities on arrival would be "to maintain the force's excellent relationship with the public in gen-eral and to maintain quality policing in an era of restricted budgets".

And Mr Kernaghan - who incurred public wrath last year when he took the flak for the Yorkshire force's decision to disband its much-loved mounted section and sell off its seven horses - said he was not afraid to make tough decisions.

"I'm not a hatchet man but at the end of the day the bottom line is important. In the case of disbanding North Yorkshire's mounted section I could see it was costing us between £320,000 and £400,000 a year with little visi-ble return while uniform officers in the area were feeling the pressure.

"The test was redeploying those resources and it worked. I'm actually an animal lover but I was prepared to make that decision.

"I am committed to Hampshire and I am looking forward to the move so I can start working with the force."

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