The Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire police announced today (Tuesday) that he is to retire at the end of July, almost five years after joining the force.

Simon Parr joined the constabulary in September 2010 following three years as the Deputy Chief Constable in Hertfordshire.

He joined Hertfordshire Constabulary in January 2004 and served as Deputy Chief Constable from 2006, and had previously spent 20 years with Sussex Police.

Mr Parr said: “It is with mixed feelings that I am today formally announcing my retirement from policing after nearly 32 years’ service.

“There is never a perfect time to leave a role that I have enjoyed as much as this, but with a new government in place, a new round of spending challenges to be met, and, no doubt, other unseen challenges to be tackled, this seems in my judgement to be the right time for me to hand over the stewardship of the organisation to someone who will lead the constabulary through the next five years.

“It has been an enormous privilege to spend so much time in public service and I am honoured to have held the office of constable for so long.”

Police and crime commissioner, Sir Graham Bright, paid tribute to the chief constable, saying: “Simon’s clear vision for how a modern constabulary should operate has seen a significant change in the culture of the organisation as officers and staff adopt new ways of working and are empowered to make decisions.”

Deputy Chief Constable Alec Wood will become Acting Chief Constable until a recruitment process takes place.