Councillors will on Monday be asked to confirm Lancashire's new top cop.

They have been recommended to rubber stamp the appointment of current deputy Sacha Hatchett as the constabulary's new chief constable.

The Lancashire Police and Crime Panel - made up of councillors from across the county - is required by law to hold a confirmation hearing into her appointment.

This will take place in Blackburn Town Hall at 3pm on Monday.

Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden has appointed DCC Hatchett on for a fixed term of five years and an annual salary of £184,273, subject to the panel's confirmation.

She was offered the job after an interview by a four person appointment panel over February 21 and 22.

Miss Hatchett will be just the second woman to hold the role in the force's almost 200 year history.

She will replace current Chief Constable Chris Rowley, who is retiring on March 31 after three years in the post.

The Police and Crime Panel have the right to veto her appointment if a two-thirds majority of members agree.

After joining the police service in February 1997, Miss Hatchett has worked within a variety of different roles across Lancashire, North Wales and Cheshire and has more than six years of experience in the highest command ranks of Assistant Chief Constable and above.

She joined Lancashire Police in 2021, after serving as assistant chief constable for North Wales Police where she had overall responsibility for the force’s operations targeting and dealing with crime

As deputy chief constable in Lancashire, she has led on implementing the new operating model for the force so it can deliver the Police and Crime Commissioner's Fighting Crime Plan, using the 612 new officers recruited since 2019.

This is has seen new teams created such as the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit, the Roads Policing and Roads Crime teams, the Rape and Serious Sexual Assault units, along with the expansion of the neighbourhood and rural teams.