Former Bedfordshire Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has been named as the preferred candidate for the interim Chief Constable of the PSNI.

Mr Boutcher has recently been conducting an investigation into the activities of Stakeknife, the Army’s top agent in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

He has led Operation Kenova since it launched in 2016 with the report expected to be published in the coming months.

He had joined Bedforshire as Chief Constable in 2014 and stood down in 2019.

While at Bedfordshire, he oversaw the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit and the Eastern Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit. 

He was previously national policing lead for Technical Surveillance Units (TSU), for the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), for Undercover Policing.

He has 35 years’ police service the majority of which was spent as a detective in the Met. He was also part of the Flying Squad in London and has held the position of National Coordinator for Pursue under the UK Contest strategy.

Last week the board announced that it had begun recruitment processes for both a permanent and an interim chief constable.

PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton is currently leading the PSNI, although he is not at his desk following a medical procedure.

A Policing Board spokesperson said: “The board has agreed the appointment of an interim chief constable for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

“The appointment is now subject to due diligence checks and ministerial approval.”