Sir Ronnie Flanagan has been appointed as one of two new Her Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary.
|
|
Sir Ronnie Flanagan
|
The Home Office confirmed the appointment as members of the policing board of Northern Ireland prepare to discuss his future at a meeting in Belfast on Thursday.
Sir Ronnie will resign as Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland at the end of this month.
He has been involved in a bitter row with the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman Ms Nuala O'Loan over the RUC investigation into the Omagh bomb.
The Secretary of State Dr John Reid said Sir Ronnie had been totally committed to managing the unprecedented change process within policing in the North.
"He had a vision of policing in the 21st Century and a clear ability to inspire and lead others in that direction," he said.
Mr Alex Attwood, one of the nationalist SDLP's representatives on Northern Ireland's Policing Board, noted Sir Ronnie's role in police reform but claimed he had resisted other key changes.
"It's acknowledged that while there are legitimate and enduring concerns about his acceptance of certain policing matters, Ronnie Flanagan did make a contribution to the safe delivery of policing change and useful interventions in the Patten debate," he said.
A Home Office spokeswoman said Sir Ronnie will take on responsibility for inspecting forces in the eastern region of HMIC.