Chief Constable role ‘poisoned chalice’ after Curran quits

Few takers for Humberside post following ‘sacking’ of controversial former Tayside top officer

Replacing a scandal-hit former Tayside Police chief’s “cursed” post is proving a £159,000-a-year poisoned chalice.

Humberside Police have been forced to reopen the application process for candidates to put themselves forward to be the force’s next Chief Constable after only one suitable candidate applied.

Interviews for the position of Chief Constable – in the wake of what is being described as “the Currangate debacle” – were due to take place this week but have been delayed to allow for a “competitive interview process”.

Potential applicants have now been set an extended deadline to be considered for the role following Justine Curran’s enforced retirement.

A police source said: “It’s a disaster but it can’t be surprising that there have been no takers for this particular poisoned chalice.

“Curran’s time in office was dogged with controversy and she was effectively sacked, so why would anyone want to take this on when it could be a career ender?”

Ms Curran recently stepped down following a vote of no confidence from staff and before the publication of a critical inspection report which said the force had been failing victims of crime.

Her tenure at the head of the force was the shortest since its creation in 1974 and she had been labelled Humberside Police’s “virtually invisible” top officer.

Ms Curran made the switch to Humberside in 2013 after three years at the helm of law enforcement strategy in Dundee, Angus and Perthshire which was not without controversy.

In 2012, she was embarrassed after an internal probe discovered she had sent text messages to her former PA about the size of a colleague’s manhood.

Justine Curran moved to Humberside in 2013 after three years as Chief Constable of Tayside Police.