Deputy chief in headlines for wrong reasons

He joined North Yorkshire Police in 2007 with a glowing reputation, having previously been an assistant chief constable in Cleveland and a divisional commander in West Yorkshire.

But he faced difficult questions earlier this year when it emerged he had breached force policy by attempting to view a computer disk which included "potentially offensive" images.

Mr Briggs was told he had a case to answer for potential misconduct but his actions fell short of requiring further disciplinary proceedings.

He said the disk, which featured pictures of scantily-clad models and cartoons, included images which he would never have used for work as he regarded them "inappropriate and distasteful".

He was also criticised in 2008 after it emerged a captured Nazi U-boat clock, bearing a swastika, was on display in his office.

He said that the clock was a "daily reminder" of his war veteran father.

Mr Briggs, who is married with four children, holds a number of senior positions, including the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on road policing and vice-president of Tispol, the European traffic police network.

He met then Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London in April 2008 to outline how North Yorkshire had introduced "mini" police stations and offices in market towns and cities. While at Cleveland, he established Operation Sabre, a series of raids targeting those behind drug crime and anti-social behaviour.

He was also part of the team which set up Putting People First, a strategy designed to put Cleveland's finances on an even keel while reducing crime and increasing detection rates.

He began his career with West Yorkshire Police, where he spent a decade as a detective and led officers in Dewsbury before starting the Target Initiative, the force's largest crackdown on crime and disorder.

Mr Briggs has an honours degree in organisational studies from Bradford University and a diploma in applied criminology and police management from Cambridge University.

He coaches young rugby players, having played the game himself for 30 years, and is a trustee of the Safe Anchor Trust, a charity which runs boat trips for disadvantaged groups on the waterways of West Yorkshire.