ONE of North Yorkshire's most senior police officers is to retire, it was announced yesterday.

Deputy Chief Constable Peter Walker will step down in October, by which time he will have completed 30 years of service.

He started as a uniformed constable in Dorset in 1973 and later served in Kent, before moving to North Yorkshire as assistant chief constable in 1996.

In 2001, he was in charge of the overall police response to the Great Heck railway disaster, which gained national praise for its speed, sensitivity and efficiency.

He is also active on the national stage, serving on the Association of Chief Police Officers' committee that oversees developments in information technology and is also the lead officer on communication in the police service.

Police authority chairman Jane Kenyon said yesterday: "We will be very sorry to lose him, he will be a great loss to North Yorkshire police. Peter has a deserved reputation as an outstanding operational commander."

Mr Walker said: "I love my job, relish the operational role and will no doubt miss it dreadfully.

"However, I will retire having had the privilege of spending the most influential years of my career working within a force to be proud of in a community who are a joy to serve."