A police chief has retuned to her role after leaving for a month under a retirement scheme.

Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner has been re-appointed to the role after stepping away from the position at the end of August.

She will return to her role after being officially re-instated by Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne.

Mrs Bourne officially backed Mrs Shiner at a meeting of the Sussex Police and Crime Panel on Friday.

She added: “I consider it to be in the absolute best interests of Sussex Police to retain the services of someone who is a proven leader with experience, integrity and professionalism, who is committed to delivering the highest possible policing services to our local communities and to keeping Sussex safe.”

The returning chief constable was also quizzed on how she would continue in the role having joined Sussex Police 32 years ago.

She said: “It has been a real privilege to be not just the chief for the past four and a half years and the deputy in Sussex before that, but a police officer.

“I hold really dearly to me public service - we talk about data integrity and numbers but at the end of all this is a person, a vulnerable person who has called us a time of crisis that expects a good, proportionate and fair policing service, and that’s exactly what I have strived to deliver.”

Jo Shiner returned to the role of chief constable after taking time away through a “retire and re-join” scheme available to police officers.

The scheme allows officers to step away from their role for a minimum period of one month before returning to the same role.

The scheme was introduced nationally in a bid to retain officers.

Jo Shiner will now return to the role on a four-year contract lasting until 2027.

Speaking after the meeting, panel chairman Mark Baynham said: “The panel was delighted to recommend the reappointment of Jo Shiner, who they agreed had done a fantastic job as chief constable over the past four years."