THE chief constable of North Yorkshire Police has taken on the same role in South Yorkshire as the force begins its search for a new commander.

Chief constable Dave Jones will take on the interim job after the current chief constable, David Crompton, was suspended over his response to the Hillsborough inquest.

The force's conduct during the two year inquest into the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium in 1989 was slammed by campaigners and MPs, who claimed they fought to belittle those fighting for justice.

Crompton admitted the force got the policing of the match "catastrophically wrong" and "unequivocally" accepted the conclusions, which found the supporters were unlawfully killed.

Chief Constable Jones will take up the post today and be based at South Yorkshire Police HQ in Sheffield.

His role will be filled in North Yorkshire by deputy chief constable Tim Madgwick.

Chief Constable Dave Jones said: “I joined the police service to make a difference and to keep people safe, and that will be my focus at South Yorkshire Police.

“There is no question that this is a very difficult period, both for South Yorkshire Police as an organisation, and for the communities it serves locally and further afield. 

“Nevertheless, I believe there is a strong desire - both inside and outside the police service - for the Force to move forward in a positive direction. 

“With that in mind, I will work with the new Chief Officer Team over the coming months, to make sure that South Yorkshire Police makes progress until a permanent Chief Constable is appointed.

“First and foremost, I will engage with those communities both inside and outside of South Yorkshire who have been let down by the police service. I want to understand how their confidence in policing has been affected, and work with them to build it back up and restore pride back into the police service."