TWO of a police force's most senior detectives are heading a murder squad.

Detective Superintendents Mark Braithwaite and Tony Hutchinson have switched from their roles as crime managers, in Hartlepool and Langbaurgh, to run the scheme from police headquarters, in Middlesbrough.

They will be responsible for all murder inquiries throughout the force area, and are looking forward to the "ultimate challenge" in their careers.

Crime managers will be responsible for general crime in each district, working with a wide range of partnerships.

Det Supt Braithwaite said: "When you get a long-running murder inquiry, it takes every waking hour of your day, and does not allow for a similar concentration of effort on day- to- day volume crime matters.

"The force has recognised this by the creation of these two posts which will free up district crime managers to allow them to concentrate their efforts on the reduction and detection of volume crime."

The two detectives have almost 50 years of experience between them and have been involved in several murder investigations. They will share a forcewide call-out rota, taking over any murder inquiry where there is no initial suspect. Where there is a suspect, they will act as advisors to the district officers.