TRANSPORT group Arriva has appointed a former head of customs to succeed its retiring non-executive chairman.

Arriva said Sir Richard Broadbent would join the board immediately and would formally take up the post at the start of November when Gareth Cooper stepped down.

Sir Richard, who was chairman of HM Customs and Excise between 2000 and last year, will be paid about £72,500 as chairman.

A former civil servant with the Treasury, he moved into banking with Schroders and is the senior independent director of Barclays.

Sir Richard said he was delighted to join Arriva at a time of significant potential for the group, with trading yesterday confirmed to be in line with expectations.

Analysts are forecasting full-year profits before exceptional items of about £97.3m compared with £83.8m a year ago.

The group indicated its intention to expand in Europe by acquiring German rail company Prignitzer Eisenbahn Gruppe in April for £4m.

It followed this deal with the purchase of a 49 per cent interest in SAF, a bus operator in northern Italy, and has the option to buy a further 11 per cent by the end of 2006.

Mr Cooper said his successor would bring a wealth of business, governmental and European experience to the group, enabling him to make a major contribution to Arriva's vision of being recognised as the leading transport services organisation in Europe.