SOUTH Lakeland's newly-appointed chief inspector is relishing his new role and plans to help make a contribution towards cracking crime in the area.

Chief Inspector Kevin McGilloway took over in his new post at Kendal on Monday and said: "I am greatly looking forward to working in such a high-performing Basic Command Unit and contributing to the Constabulary's priorities of tackling violent and general crime, drugs and youth disorder."

Mr McGilloway, 44, (pictured) joined the police as a 16-year-old cadet in 1976 after leaving Barrow Technical School. In 1979, he became a PC based in Carlisle and by 1981 had moved to the Northern Traffic Unit, based at Houghton, near Carlisle, where he served until 1988. He was promoted to sergeant and went to work in Barrow, where he spent five years in various roles in the administration support unit, control room and custody.

He was promoted to inspector and transferred to Penrith, where he worked for 18 months, and was later stationed at Keswick and Cockermouth. For a two-year period, he worked in the old force control room before moving to Kendal traffic department, later transferring to the North and West Traffic Unit.

After two years, he was promoted to chief inspector, based at police headquarters, and managed the joint communication centres at Penrith and Workington, a post he has held for the last two years.