THE man who was at the centre of some of the region's biggest dramas in recent years is to retire.

Chief Superintendent John Lacy, the commander of the North Yorkshire force's central area, will step down in April after 35 years of service.

He joined the old York and North East Yorkshire Police as a cadet in 1969, and after progressing through the ranks he was appointed as Detective Chief Inspector and the head of York CID in 1990.

During that period he led many major crime investigations.

He was promoted to Operations Superintendent in York in 1999 and was responsible for co-ordinating the response to the autumn 2000 floods.

He also played a vital role at the Selby rail disaster in February 2001.

Being the first senior officer to be contacted, he organised the immediate response from the emergency services and co-ordinated much of the rescue and recovery work.

In January 2002, he was appointed as the commander for the central area in the rank of Chief Superintendent.

He said he looked back on his career with great satisfaction and personal pride.

"Virtually all my working life has been spent serving the public of North Yorkshire, and particularly the public of York," he said.

"Much of what I have accomplished could not have been achieved without the tireless efforts of my colleagues, but more importantly the support of the communities I have served and the many agencies and elected members I have worked alongside."

He added: "After 35 years, I feel it is time to move on and look forward to a new challenge and also to spend more time with my wife and family."