GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S chief constable has announced his retirement.

Dr Timothy Brain, chief constable of Gloucestershire Police since 2001, announced today that he would retire in January 2010.

It will end 31 years of service in the police and he said it had been an honour to serve the county.

"It has been a privilege to serve the people of Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire Constabulary for over 11 years, firstly as deputy chief constable and for the last eight years as chief constable," said Dr Brain.

"I shall leave the Constabulary in good shape, with the highest number of officers and staff in its 170-year history and with crime at its lowest level for 20 years."

Dr Brain has led the county’s force through many notable achievements in his time as chief constable, including the anti-war demonstrations at RAF Fairford in 2003, the construction of the first Tri-Service control centre, which houses police, fire and ambulance service call takers and leading the county’s response to the major flooding emergency in 2007.

In the Birthday Honours of June 2008 Dr Brain was given an OBE for his services to the police and the community in Gloucestershire.