The former deputy national coordinator of Operation Hydrant - the cross force historical child sexual abuse inquiry  - has been appointed assistant chief constable of Wilishire Police.

Detective Superintendent Smith has worked for the force for 21 years, joining in 1999. She has also undertaken the role of Community Safety Inspector and a Detective Chief Inspector within Volume Crime.

She said "I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed as Assistant Chief Constable in Wiltshire" and that she had “immense pride in the organisation as we have tremendous people working for us”.

In May 2015, DS Smith was seconded to Operation Hydrant as the Deputy National Coordinator, before returning to Wiltshire in December 2016, where she took on the role of Head of Crime before becoming Head of Public Protection.

Operation Hydrant is a coordination hub established in June 2014 to deliver the national policing response, oversight, and coordination of non-recent child sexual abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence, or in relation to those offences which took place within institutional settings.

She will be replacing ACC Maggie Blyth, who is going on to become an ACC with Hampshire Constabulary.

DS Smith said: "I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with our staff, partners and the public and further developing and overseeing the fantastic work that has been undertaken under ACC Blyth over the past 12 months."

Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said: "I am delighted to announce that Deb will be joining our Executive Leadership Team as the ACC for Local Policing.

"I have known her and worked with her for many years and I know she brings with her a wealth of talent and experience, particularly given her previous role as Head of our Public Protection Department.

"I look forward to her continuing her career here in Wiltshire and taking our local policing approach from strength to strength."

He added: "I would also like to say that despite my delight at Deb's appointment, I will be very sad to say goodbye to Maggie.

ACC Blyth said: "I am delighted to have been appointed back into Hampshire Constabulary. But I do want to say it has been a privilege to work in Wiltshire over the last year with so many fantastic officers and staff whose dedication to our communities is unfaltering.

"We have the most excellent officers and staff at Wiltshire Police and I have been continuously impressed by the high levels of professionalism, dedication and expertise shown by all our teams, at all times and particularly through the current pandemic crisis.”