Gloucestershire temporary chief constable Maggie Blyth to retire
Temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth has announced she will retire from policing after 36 years of public service and will not seek appointment as Gloucestershire Constabulary’s permanent chief constable.
Ms Blyth, who took over leadership of the force in October 2024 following the suspension of former Chief Constable Rod Hansen, said she would remain in post until a successor is appointed later this year before bringing her policing career to a close.
She said: “After much consideration and reflection, I have decided to retire from policing. In light of my decision, I won’t be putting my name forward for the selection process for a permanent Chief Constable.”
Ms Blyth joined Gloucestershire on secondment from the College of Policing to provide stability during a period of significant organisational change. Before that, she served as deputy chief executive at the College and was the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for violence against women and girls, helping establish the National Centre for Public Protection and Violence Against Women and Girls in 2025.
She also became the first officer to reach the rank of chief constable through the direct entry superintendent programme.
Reflecting on her time in Gloucestershire, Ms Blyth said the force had made significant progress and now had “strong foundations in place to move forward with clear direction and confidence”, although she acknowledged further work remained, including responding to the latest HMICFRS PEEL inspection and preparing for police reform.
Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson has already begun the process of recruiting Gloucestershire’s next permanent chief constable following Mr Hansen’s retirement last month.