PSNI: Jon Boutcher picked as interim chief constable

Jon Boutcher has been picked as interim chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), subject to agreement, BBC News NI understands.

An arrangement for him to take the role is still being worked on.

He would assume the temporary post after previous chief constable Simon Byrne quit in September following a series of crises under his leadership.

Mr Boutcher has decades of experience within policing and is a former chief of Bedfordshire Police.

He has spent the past five years overseeing an independent investigation into the activities of the Army's top spy within the IRA during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

His Operation Kenova report into the agent, who was known as Stakeknife, is due to be published in the coming months.

Mr Boutcher had previously applied to lead the Metropolitan Police after the resignation of Cressida Dick last year but he was unsuccessful in that process.

He was also unsuccessful in his bid to become PSNI chief constable in 2019, when the job eventually went to Mr Byrne.

Liam Kelly, the chair of the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, welcomed Mr Boutcher's selection as interim chief but said he "will have a mountain to climb because it will be challenging".

"Morale is pretty low at the moment," he added.

The Northern Ireland Policing Board, which oversees the PSNI, confirmed that it had agreed on the appointment of an interim chief constable.

"The appointment is now subject to due diligence checks and ministerial approval," it added.

Social Democratic and Labour Party leader Colum Eastwood gave a positive reaction to Mr Boutcher's appointment, describing him as "honest and up-front".

The PSNI has been without a chief constable for several weeks after Mr Byrne's resignation.

He quit in the wake of a court ruling that determined that two junior police officers had been unlawfully disciplined after making an arrest at a Troubles commemoration event in Belfast.

The previous month the force had mistakenly shared the identities of its entire workforce online in what was described by senior officers as a "major data breach".

Rank-and-file officers have since passed a vote of no confidence in some of the PSNI's other senior leaders.

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland has said the force is in "in dire need of clear and strong leadership".

A fast-track process to appoint an interim leader began last week, with the deadline for applications passing on Monday afternoon.

Applications are being sought for a new permanent chief constable on a salary of almost £220,000 but it will be several months before they would start the job.