Tributes paid to former senior police officer who was 'Hampshire to his core'

TRIBUTES have been paid following the death of a former deputy chief constable who started his 37-year-career in Fareham and was ‘Hampshire to his core’.
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Former Hampshire Constabulary deputy chief constable Ian Readhead died peacefully at home surrounded by his family following a cancer diagnosis.

The 65-year-old had joined the force as a police cadet in Bishop’s Waltham after finishing his studies at Fareham Technical College in 1971.

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He went on to serve at stations across the region, including central Portsmouth, as an ‘ethical, visionary, and generous’ member of the force, according to chief constable Olivia Pinkey.

Former deputy chief constable Ian Readhead. Picture: Hampshire ConstabularyFormer deputy chief constable Ian Readhead. Picture: Hampshire Constabulary
Former deputy chief constable Ian Readhead. Picture: Hampshire Constabulary

She said: ‘For Hampshire and Hampshire Constabulary, Ian has left us with the most wonderful legacy and set the tone for this force in a deep and vital way.

‘So much of what I have the joy and privilege to lead in this Constabulary was developed by Ian and on his watch.

‘Described by colleagues as ‘Hampshire to his core’, Ian was ethical, visionary and generous with his time and wisdom, a great supporter of all our police family and mentor to so many.’

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In recognition of his services to policing, the father-of-four was awarded an OBE in 2015.

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Following his retirement as a deputy chief constable in 2008, Ian became the first chief executive office of ACRO Criminal Records Office, a national police unit based in Fareham responsible for the sharing of conviction information between the UK and foreign law enforcement partners.

He fulfilled a decade-long ambition to sign an agreement with the FBI to formalise the exchange of conviction data between the UK and the United States in 2017.

On his retirement in 2017, Ian said: ‘It has been a great privilege to be DCC of this force.

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‘Policing Hampshire has been my life, and I always strived to ensure that I have given my best for the communities we serve and the staff whom I represent.’

Instead of flowers, his wife Maggi, his sons Paul and Stuart, both serving police officers, and his daughters Rachel and Lizzee have all asked for donations to be made to Macmillan Cancer Support or Oakhaven Hospice, Lymington.

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