HERTFORDSHIRE Police Authority chairman Peter Holland has been re-appointed for the fourth successive year.

Vice-chairman Ian Laidlaw-Dickson was also re-appointed at the authority's annual meeting after neither post was contested.

Malcolm Jessop remains Bishop Stortford's representative on the authority.

Mr Holland said: 'I'm delighted at this vote of confidence in both Ian's ability and my own to lead the authority for a further year. I hope it will provide a level of continuity to the ever-changing role of the authority.

'Our new 'best value' responsibility will help us develop even closer working relations with the Chief Constable and his staff as we embark on a five-year-review of all police services.'

Mr Holland also serves on the authorities for the National Criminal Intelligence Service, National Crime Squad for England and Wales, is a member of the board of the Police Information Technology Organisation and chairs the information management subcommittee for the Association of Police Authorities.

He has been asked by Home Office Minister for Police Charles Clarke to join an information technology review group to study how best to accelerate the introduction of IT in policing.