A NEW chief constable has been appointed to head the police force in England's biggest county - and for the first time a woman has been given the role.

Della Cannings, currently the Acting Deputy Chief Constable for Cleveland, will take over the top job in North Yorkshire on the retirement of David Kenworthy.

Although female chief constables have been appointed in other parts of the country in the past they are still unusual. When Mrs Cannings takes on her new job she will be one of only four in office.

Exeter-born, she is 49 years old and her appointment follows an exhaustive campaign which culminated in a rigorous two-day selection process.

Yesterday, police authority chairman Jane Kenyon said: "We had an exceptionally strong field of candidates to choose from, which is a testament to the force's reputation nationally.

"We expect the force to go from strength to strength under the new chief's leadership and the authority will be working closely with her to achieve that goal."

Mrs Cannings said she was pleased to have been appointed. "North Yorkshire Police has a fine reputation and David Kenworthy must take a lot of credit for that," she said.

"I look forward to guiding this force through the many challenges that face the police service over the new few years."

A graduate from Bath University, Mrs Cannings joined the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in 1975 as a constable and rose to the rank of chief superintendent.

She has since served as an adviser at the Home Office, studied in the USA and has won several major awards for her work.

In January 2000 she became assistant chief constable in Cleveland where, among other things she dealt with the disciplinary aspects of the controversial Operation Lancet involving former superintendent Ray Mallon.