DISGRUNTLED Hampshire police officers have criticised the Home Secretary for recommending the man who carried out a controversial review of their pay and conditions for a top policing inspectorate job.

Theresa May wants Tom Winsor, whose two reports were part of the most wide-ranging review of policing in more than 30 years, to take on the £200,000-a-year role.

But the move has prompted anger and surprise among rank-and-file officers - 30,000 of whom marched through London in protest last month - with much criticism focusing on Mr Winsor's lack of policing experience.

Questions have also been raised about his credibility for the role for which other senior police chiefs in the country were being lined up for.

John Apter, chairman of the federation's Hampshire branch, said he was struggling to understand why 54-year-old Mr Winsor would be recommended over other “more credible candidates”.

He told the Daily Echo: ''Tom Winsor has very little experience of policing and has attracted criticism from the rank and file over the way he has conducted his reviews into police reform.

Personally I don't think it matters that a non police officer has been recommended, the issue for me is because of his credibility and his integrity of which is think is lacking on both parts. He would not have the confidence of the rank and file and treated with contempt.”

Mr Winsor, 54, would be the first civilian to take up the role since Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) was first established in 1856.