Retiring police chief’s regret at never finding Jenny’s body

Sue Cross had her final day as Assistant Chief Constable at North Yorkshire Police yesterday after a three-decade career which has seen her described as an “inspirational leader and role model”.

Ms Cross, from Bradford, started her career as a police constable with West Yorkshire Police, where she regularly policed football matches in Leeds and Huddersfield.

After a period serving with Cleveland Police, she moved to North Yorkshire where her initial role included responsibility for the Harrogate, Craven and Richmond districts. She was appointed Assistant Chief Constable in 2008.

One of her achievements was securing the conviction of David Hodgson for the murder of Jenny Nicholl, 19, from Richmond, who disappeared in 2005. As senior investigating officer in the case, Ms Cross and her colleagues used new linguistic analysis techniques to show Hodgson, who had been the teenager’s lover, had been sending texts on her mobile after her presumed death.

Ms Cross said: “My one remaining sadness is that I have never been able to tell Jenny’s parents, Brian and Ann, where Jenny is. That is something I still think about on a very regular basis.

“To lose a child is one of the most difficult things for any parent to bear and to not be able to lay your child to rest just compounds the loss.”

Her recent responsibilities as Assistant Chief Constable have included human resources, information technology, estates and professional standards, as well as being president of the North East Search and Rescue Association.

She said: “The challenges faced by the public sector are not for the faint-hearted. There are still many financial savings to be made and difficult decisions about what and how services can be delivered.

“I would also like to see the Government publicly valuing the contributions that public sector workers make on a daily basis, rather than the current belief that many staff have, that they are not valued.”

Speaking about her future plans, she said: “I am looking forward to exploring a number of opportunities. One in particular would give me a complete change of direction but still enable me to use the skills I have developed and be part of something that is exciting and fun.”

North Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Dave Jones said: “Sue has played a vital role within the Chief Officer Team at North Yorkshire Police and has been an inspirational leader and role model for many people during her very varied policing career.

“She is a very positive, supportive and compassionate police officer who can be proud of her achievements.”