Richard Brunstrom to go next year

Controversial chief constable Richard Brunstrom has announced his intention to retire by Christmas next year.

The head of North Wales Police, who has publicly attacked motorcyclists in his online blog and showed pictures of a decapitated rider at a press conference, said he would then “disappear” from public life.

Brunstrom is loathed by motorcyclists for his force’s zero tolerance approach to riders who stray onto his roads and sneaky tactics such hiding a speed trap in a horsebox.

Last year he showed journalists pictures of a headless biker at a press conference without seeking permission from the rider’s family.

An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission revealed his intention had been to celebrate his force’s road safety achievements but in fact road deaths in the region rose 10% in a year.

Brunstrom told BBC Radio Wales on Monday: “I have a contract which goes until Christmas next year and I suspect by that time I will simply retire and simply disappear.

“You will not find me re-emerging as an aspiring politician or in any other field.

“I hope to be extremely quiet and hopefully a long way away, taking the sun on a coral atoll.”

Brunstrom also revealed he decided policing was the career for him after spotting an officer asleep on the job.

He said: “As I cycled past in the rain, thinking I wasn’t enjoying my life much, I saw there was a police officer in the car.

“And he was lying flat on the driver’s seat with his hat over his eyes, clearly fast asleep… And I thought: ‘I can do that job.’ Just like that, literally there and then.”