Humberside police chief to return - and then retire

David Blunkett has agreed to reinstate the beleaguered Chief Constable of Humberside on condition that he retires within six months.

David Blunkett has agreed to reinstate the beleaguered Chief Constable of Humberside on condition that he retires within six months.

Despite going to court to enforce David Westwood's suspension two months ago and insisting that he was responsible for the failings that allowed the school caretaker Ian Huntley to remain free to kill at Soham, the Home Secretary has agreed that the Chief Constable will be back at his desk on Monday. In return, Mr Westwood will step down for good on 30 March 2005.

The shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, described the move as a shambles. He said: "The initial peremptory use of his powers has yielded neither a clear conclusion nor continuity in leadership for the people of Humberside. They are the principal losers from the Home Secretary's disorganised approach, which was more concerned with scapegoats than solutions."

Mr Westwood, 55, was criticised in the report by Sir Michael Bichard that followed the murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman for failing to take personal responsibility for the failures of his force after Huntley slipped through the intelligence net. His return removes the prospect of a damaging legal battle between Mr Blunkett and the Humberside Police Authority, which has backed Mr Westwood throughout.

The authority was forced to temporarily suspend the Chief Constable in July after Mr Blunkett went to the High Court following a tense 10-day stand-off over the issue.

After the court ruling, Mr Blunkett demanded a full and immediate response by Humberside Police into the outcome of Bichard. But the Humberside Police Authority remained defiant. "We're satisfied that the best way in which the police authority will continue to secure the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force for Humberside is through having David Westwood as its chief constable," it countered.

The suspension was the first time the Home Secretary had used powers brought in during 2002 to order a chief constable to step aside in this way.

In a statement yesterday, the Home Office said Mr Blunkett and Mr Westwood, who was due to go in March 2006, had agreed on his early retirement.

A spokeswoman said: "Humberside Police will continue to work to the agreed work programme with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Home Office Police Standards Unit to improve the performance of the force and its intelligence processes."

Mr Westwood, who has 37 years' police experience, has repeatedly said he believed it was his duty to remain as chief constable and "put things right" after Sir Michael's criticisms.

In a statement yesterday, Mr Westwood's solicitors, Kingsley Napier, said he was now able to "complete the work he has set out to do".