GWENT's new police and crime commissioner wants to appoint a retired police officer he has known for 30 years as his deputy.

Ian Johnston told the first meeting of the Gwent Police and Crime Panel that he intends to appoint Gwent's first financial investigator Paul Harris to be the region's deputy police and crime commissioner.

There have been concerns nationwide that police and crime commissioners (PCCs) have been appointing contacts, friends and former colleagues to the role.

But speaking to the Argus Mr Johnston denied that Mr Harris, who will earn £52,000 a year on a contract of 37 hours a week, was a crony.

"I see it as extremely sensible and pragmatic that I would appoint someone that I know and trust," Mr Johnston said.

Under the law Mr Johnston is able to appoint a deputy. Although the police and crime panel, which scrutinises the PCC and is made up of Gwent councillors, will review the decision and make a recommendation on it at a confirmation meeting in January, it cannot veto his decision.

Mr Johnston had told the panel that from the day he decided to stand he intended to appoint Mr Harris.

He said that Mr Harris joined the force as a 17-year-old cadet, and patrolled in uniform in Pontypool and Cwmbran before joining CID early in his career.

He was later a leading fugure in the force's fraud squad and was Gwent's first financial investigator, before he was seconded to the national criminal intelligence service.

Mr Harris, who retired from policing two years ago, spent his career in more recent years working overseas, where he was an attache to the British embassy in the Hague, in the Netherlands.

Lately the retired Newport police officer has been working for the foreign and commonwealth office and has undertaken consultancy work in the public sector.

He said: "I have known Paul for 30 years and I have first hand experience of his attainment and skills. I'm convinced that his personal style... and his experience will make him an ideal candidate for the job."

Mr Johnston told the Argus he was Mr Harris' detective sergeant when Mr Harris was a detective constable in 1981.

He said that Mr Harris went to Holland as a detective chief inspector but left policing as a detective superintendent.

Mr Johnston said his proposed deputy police and crime commissioner has been a work colleague and a friend, but said Mr Harris has been in Holland for ten years. He said he was not a "crony".

Although he had said during his campaign that he wanted to appoint a deputy, he had not said who out of respect for the panel.  "There's a proper procedure to go through and that's the way I have done it," he said.

Mr Johnston says Mr Harris will work more than the 37 hours he will be contracted to.

MPs speak out over deputy

TWO Labour MPs have spoken outover the appointment – although one Gwent Tory said he did not think it was a big issue.

Paul Flynn, Labour Newport West MP, said he didn't think it was a wise move and said the deputy should be someone from the community.

"The last person I would have wanted in the job was another policeman," he said.

Paul Murphy, Labour Torfaen MP, said he didn't see how appointing fellow ex-officers to be their deputies would help commissioners show the public that their role was worthwhile.

"Commissioners were meant to be the voice of the public and scrutineers of chief constables, not echoes of them," he said.

David Davies, MP for Monmouth, said he didn't think it was a "big issue": "I think it would have been the same whoever was in charge."

"I think it was always expected that the police commissioner couldn't do it by themselves."

But a supporter of Ian Johnston Lindsay Whittle, Plaid AM for South Wales East, said the commissioner's decision should be respected.

However he said it might have been wise for PCC candidates to have told the electorate that they had a running mate.

ARGUS COMMENT:  PCC Deputy will be seen as crony

GWENT’S new police and crime commissioner is appointing a deputy.

Fair enough, you might think. It’s a big job and there is only so much one person can do.

PCC Ian Johnston made clear during the election campaign that he would have a deputy so the appointment is not a secret.

But the process for such an appointment, paid for with public money, is simply not good enough.

In fairness to Mr Johnston, he is following procedure in giving Paul Harris the deputy’s role on a salary believed to be in excess of £50,000 a year.

But that procedure allows PCCs to appoint whoever they want as their deputy.  There is growing concern around the country as PCCs appoint friends, contacts and colleagues to these roles.

Mr Harris’ appointment can be scrutinised by a panel of councillors but they have no power of veto.

Mr Johnston won an election to become Gwent PCC. Fewer than 10 per cent of people voted for him but he nonetheless won an election fair and square.

Mr Harris did not have to stand for election, or apply for the deputy’s job, or face any kind of selection procedure.

That cannot be right for any high-profile job, let alone one that is paid for by the public, and the process will undoubtedly lead to allegations of cronyism.

Mr Johnston has played by the rules. But the rules are an ill-conceived mess.