West Country (E) Gloucestershire Police News

Police investigating a theft on a bus between Cheltenham and Gloucester have released CCTV images of a man they would like to speak to. It happened last month after a 70 year-old woman left her handbag on the number 10 bus when she alighted at Shurdington Road.

The bag was later handed to the bus driver - but the woman’s pink Samsung mobile phone, £20 in cash and her bank cards were missing.

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• Gloucestershire Police

Stroud High School pupil Michaela Cheesman went missing after failing to turn up for an exam.

Gloucestershire Police had appealed for the public's help in locating the 16 year old who lives in Cirencester.

Missing schoolgirl Michaela Cheesman has been found safe & well, thanks to everyone for their assistance."

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• Gloucestershire Police
• Stroud

Police in Cheltenham have released a CCTV picture of a cyclist they want to speak to after an attempted serious sexual assault. The incident happened between 3:30am and 4am on Saturday 3rd February in Brunswick Street.

A 22 year old woman was pushed to the ground and assaulted. Police say the person riding this bike is not a suspect but may have seen something which could help their enquiries.

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• Gloucestershire Police
• Cheltenham

A pensioner from Rotherham who is visiting the Cheltenham Festival remains missing on Wednesday.

Friends of 70 year old Philip Lucas last saw him around 5.50pm on Tuesday.

He was supposed to be staying in Cranham during the week of the festival.

Gloucestershire Constabulary have told ITV News West Country that they received a report of a possible sighting of Mr Lucas in the Kings Arms public house around 11.15pm on Tuesday, but there has been no confirmed information about his whereabouts.

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• Gloucestershire Police
• Cheltenham Festival

Police have not been able to identify where the foot came from but say forensic tests reveal it is likely to have come from a man, white, older than 17 and between 164 and 178 cm tall.

The foot was found in a size nine and a half Vision-brand trainer and a dark grey sock. The trainer was grey and blue with a white rubber sole and a blue V logo on the side.

We have always kept an open mind about how the foot got there. Officers carried out a thorough search of the area it was found and DNA tests confirmed that the foot belongs to a man but no other clues have been identified and sadly we still don’t know the person’s identity.

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• Deerhurst
• foot

Police in Gloucestershire are renewing their appeal for information after a human foot was found by a riverbank. The decomposed foot was found by a couple walking along the River Severn in Deerhurst on Saturday March 21 2009.

Since the discovery police have been trying to identify the person the body part came from and how it came to be on the riverbank.

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• Deerhurst

The appointment of new Chief Constable Suzette Davenport was approved at a meeting of the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel this afternoon.

Ms Davenport, 50, the current Deputy Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police was put forward as the preferred candidate of four who attended an interview board headed by Commissioner Martin Surl last Tuesday.

She is due to take up her new role on 4 February.

We followed the procedure set out by the College of Policing and I am delighted the Police and Crime Panel has agreed with us that Suzette is the best person for the job.

She was the outstanding candidate in a very strong field and having met with her today, the panel has confirmed our judgement. I am looking forward to working with her to provide the best possible police service for Gloucestershire.

The panel addressed issues relating to the investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) into a murder inquiry in Staffordshire in 2002. From 2005 to 2007, Ms Davenport was Assistant Chief Constable there.

The IPCC investigation is a matter of public record and I have been completely open about it throughout the recruitment process.

I made the interview board fully aware of it and, where possible, I have answered questions from the media.

As I have said before, until the investigation is completed I am restricted in what I can say but I am confident there will be a positive outcome.

In the meantime, I am grateful to the Police Commissioner for his support and the endorsement of the Police and Crime Panel.

The whole process has restored my faith in fairness and justice and I am very much looking forward to starting my new job.

I am very proud and excited to be coming to Gloucestershire and having met a number of my new colleagues already, I can’t wait to get started.

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• Gloucestershire Police
• Suzette Davenport

The review panel which has confirmed Suzette Davenport as Gloucestershire's next Chief Constable says it's not happy about the way the appointment was carried out.

"The Police and Crime Panel accept the recommendation of the Police and Crime Commissioner for the appointment of Suzette Davenport as Gloucestershire’s Chief Constable, subject to her categorical assurances regarding the IPCC investigation.

However, the Police and Crime Panel must record our serious concerns over the appointment process undertaken by the Commissioner’s office. We believe that the issue of the IPCC investigation was not properly considered.

Specifically, interview panel members did not have sufficient information to balance the candidate’s performance against the risks to Gloucestershire Constabulary. The Panel have subsequently explored these issues, including being appraised of all available information.”

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• Gloucestershire Police
• Suzette Davenport

Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Panel has confirmed that Suzette Davenport is to be the county's next Chief Constable. The 49-year-old was one of four candidates interviewed to head the 2207-strong constabulary.

Ms Davenport, currently deputy chief constable of Northamptonshire Police, will take up her role on 1 February. The panel has attached a number of conditions to her appointment.

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• Gloucestershire Police
• Suzette Davenport