THE hunt is on for a new chief fire officer for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service following news that existing CFO Mark Yates will retire at the end of March.

He has been CFO and chief executive at the service since 2010.

Mr Yates said: "I feel extremely honoured to have led Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service for the last six years and enormously proud of what the service has achieved in recent years.

"Furthermore, during my time with the organisation I have also had the privilege of working with so many talented and passionate individuals who are dedicated to protecting our communities.

"The fantastic work that they do, whether its playing a part in prevention or physically saving lives, is truly admirable and one of the reasons I have been so proud to work for the service."

Mr Yates said he intended to keep his options open regarding what he would do after his retirement, saying he was focused on his final three months in the role.

He added: "Although I am sad to be retiring from the service, I am equally excited to start this new chapter of my life.

"My retirement will also give the Fire Authority the opportunity to recruit another CFO who should bring fresh views and new ideas, which will only be positive for the future of the organisation and the communities of Herefordshire and Worcestershire."

Mr Yates has been in the fire service for 32 years, starting his career at Cornwall County Fire Brigade in 1984.

He later became deputy chief fire officer at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, where he commanded the Buncefield Oil Depot incident.

In addition to his role at HWFRS, Mr Yates is also a member of the Institute of Fire Engineers and leads the national health and safety reference for the Chief Fire Officers' Association (CFOA).

He was awarded the Queen's Fire Service medal in 2010.

Councillor Derek Prodger said: "Over the past six years, we have worked in close collaboration on all matters relating to the fire and rescue service and I'm pleased to say we have enjoyed a very successful partnership. "During this time, Mark has shown himself to be an outstanding leader whose hard work and commitment has made Herefordshire and Worcestershire safer places to live, work and visit."

He went on to thank him for his dedication, passion and considerable contribution to the fire service.

The job is worth £123,477 plus car.