HEREFORDSHIRE teacher Paul Deneen has been unanimously elected as the new chairman of the West Mercia Police Authority.

Mr Deneen, a teacher at John Kyrle High School, Ross-on-Wye, has been vice-chairman of the authority for the past two years and has served in his capacity as a local magistrate.

He has helped set up the local Citizens Advice Bureau, chaired the successful campaign to keep the local Community Hospital and also chaired both the independent board of visitors at HM Prison Gloucester and the Advisor Board of BBC Hereford and Worcester.

After thanking outgoing chairman Bob Forster for his "excellent leadership, dedication and commitment", Mr Deneen said: "I will look forward to the continued excellent partnership working between the authority, its officers and members, and the Chief Constable Paul West and his team of officers and staff at West Mercia Constabulary.

"Recent figures from 2004/05 indicate an 11% reduction in total recorded crime, a 19% reduction domestic burglary and a 15% reduction in violent crime.

"It is vitally important that these trends continue so that West Mercia becomes an even safer place in which to work and live. I pay tribute to the Chief Constable, his officers and staff for their hard work in achieving such figures".