NORTH Wales Police's new chief constable is relishing the challenges ahead as he get to grips with his new role.

Appointed by the North Wales Police and Crime Panel in September, constable Foulkes began his new role this week, having been deputy chief constable of Merseyside Police.

Speaking while on a tour of the force's new headquarters at Davy Way, Llay, constable Foulkes, who is originally from Caergwrle, told the Leader he was enjoying getting to know Wrexham and Flintshire again amongst the rest of his patch.

He said: "It is only day four in the role but I have already got acquainted with the A55 quite a bit.

"I'm getting to know the community and the community is getting to know me."

He added that an "improved digital approach to communication" was one of his priorities due to a "changing nature of demand", and that he sees the new HQ in Llay as a better environment for staff to work in than the soon to be demolished Bodhyfryd site in Wrexham, which he has visited in the last few weeks.

"We want to be more present as an organisation and stop the same issues becoming issues, and those issues happening in the same areas", he said.

Constable Foulkes, 47, started his policing career with British Transport Police in 1993, having previously served in the Royal Navy and seeing active service in the first Gulf War.

After spending 10 years working for British Transport Police in London, serving in a variety of local policing and support roles, he was promoted to the rank of acting Chief Inspector.

In 2003, he joined West Midlands Police as a Detective Chief Inspector in Walsall. He moved into the Criminal Investigation Department prior to becoming Operations Superintendent in Birmingham.

In 2008, he was promoted to the position of Solihull Commander and two years later he assumed command of Force Intelligence, before moving on to head Force CID, the largest single department in the Force. As head of Force CID, he managed the force’s response to serious organised crime, homicide and acquisitive crime.