A long-serving chief constable has dramatically quit on the day the newly elected Police Commissioner was sworn - after being told he must apply for his job.
Sue Mountstevens, an independent candidate to head Avon and Somerset as police and crime commissioner, told long serving Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Colin Port he had to reapply for his job with competition from outsiders, and he refused to do so, choosing to leave his job.
Port will retire on a £100,000 a year pension, the Daily Mail reported.
Sue Mountstevens, elected Police and Crime Commissioner in Avon and Somerset
He said in a statement: "Yesterday I had a meeting with the police and crime commissioner.
"She told me she intends to start the process to recruit a chief constable to take Avon and Somerset forward. I told her I had no intention of applying for my job.
"I can confirm that I will be retiring from the police service on January 26 2013 at the end of my fixed-term appointment. In effect, I will be leaving considerably sooner.’
Mountstevens recorded a decisive victory in Friday's election, which was marred by a low turnout, defeating her Tory rival and favourite Ken Maddock by almost 60,000 votes.