The new chief of Cheshire police has vowed to make officers more visible by putting more bobbies on the beat.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne replaces Dave Whatton who has retired after almost six years in the role.

He has already set his sights on increasing the number of police officers on the streets.

The married father-of-two comes to the force from his role as assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, where he was responsible for 32 London boroughs, the largest policing operation in the country. Known for cost-cutting and streamlining services, Chief Constable Byrne has 32 years of service under his belt including roles as assistant chief constable for Merseyside Police in 2006 and Greater Manchester Police in 2009.

The 51-year-old outlined plans to hire 50 new constables swelling the force’s number to 2,000.

He said: “The first thing I want to look at this year is police visibility, because we both hear a lot from right across the county that there’s still a yearning for seeing the bobby on the beat.

“I’m given just short of £200m from various grants and council tax and things, and while there has to be good diligence and governance, it’s a choice about how we spend it.

“The bulk of our money goes on people, but I’ve spoken to John Dwyer, Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, about exploring where we can actually grow the police force, the constables to about 2,000 officers – about 50 more than we’ve currently got.”

Chief Constable Byrne, who has lived in Cheshire for almost 40 years, also outlined plans for technology for frontline officers, measures to tackle car crime and a vision to put victims back in the heart of the police’s operations.

Mr Dwyer said: “I’m delighted to see the impact that Simon’s presence has already had on the force.

“Last week, 179 people were arrested as part of ‘Operation Cleansweep’ which targeted people who were wanted on warrants, failed to turn up at court or were named suspects in criminal investigations.

“This was fantastic work and I’m delighted with the direction the force is taking.”