A new police watchdog body, which will launch in January next year, has announced its soon-to-be director general.

Michael Lockwood, who is the current chief executive of Harrow Council, will head up the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which replaces the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Dame Anne Owers, chair of the IPCC, welcomed his appointment as well as the decision to morph the body.

She said: “We have worked alongside the Home Office to shape the future of the organisation since 2015, when we recommended a new structure that would better support our much-expanded organisation.

“My focus now will be to ensure a smooth transition into that new structure and then to hand over the governance of the organisation to Michael.”