HAMPSHIRE Fire and Rescue have appointed a new assistant fire chief.

Former head of knowledge management for the emergency service, Shantha Dickinson will now hold the position of assistant chief officer and director of community safety and resilience.

The mother of two says she feels privileged and will strive to be a role model for the firefighters of tomorrow.

Shantha was born in Hong Kong before her family relocated to the West Country.

She later moved to Edinburgh to attend university and graduated as a commissioned army officer at Sandhurst Military Academy.

Assistant Chief Dickinson hopes to use the array of skills she honed in the military and her insight into local politics in the interim role.

After a decade of moving around the country with the military she moved into the world of local politics being in charge of information governance and security for West Sussex County Council for four years.

She then joined Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2014 to build and head up a new department to critically analyse data and information to help improve performance.

She said: “The fire service has seen huge changes in its culture and role in recent years and we are always looking for new ways to help keep people safe and improve the world they live in. Hampshire is at the forefront of this positive change and I am looking forward to being part of this exciting journey.”