The National Crime Agency has lost a second member of its top team.

Dr Nina Cope is standing down as Deputy Director General to start an unyet confirmed role at the Ministry of Defence.

She joined the agency in 2017 from the High Speed 2 rail project where she was Director of organisational Effectiveness and Change.

She is married to AC Neil Basu who has been linked as a possible new head of the National Crime Agency.

At the NCA she has been the strategic leader on culture, transformation, technology and estates.

She was responsible for ensuring the agency has effective support capabilities and leads on the continuing design and delivery of its transformation programme.

It’s a critical area for the agency which has battled to attract and retain staff as pay and benefits are set to civil service rather than policing grades.

Prior to HS2, she was responsible for taking the Met through a major service improvement and cost reduction programme and has also worked across sectors including local government and education. She also served as its Deputy Director of Intelligence and Chief of Staff. 

AC Basu is currently the Strategic Command Course Director at the College of Policing having previously been the anti-terrorism lead at the Met.

He has already ruled himself out of the running to be the next Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

Dame Lynne paid tribute to Dr Cope: “The progress the agency has made is in good part due to her capability, determination and absolute focus.”