IPCC head to become chief inspector of prisons

Nick Hardwick, the chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, is to be the new chief inspector of prisons, the ministry of justice has announced. Hardwick, who was chief executive of the homeless charity Centrepoint and the Refugee Council before becoming the first chair of the IPCC in 2002, will take over from Dame Anne Owers when she steps down in June. The Ministry of Justice said that Hardwick was the "preferred candidate" for the job after a rigorous and open selection procedure. The Commons justice select committee will hold a pre-appointment hearing and report to the justice secretary, Jack Straw, on Hardwick's suitability before a final recommendation is made to the Queen. Hardwick saw the IPCC through its difficult birth pangs and controversies involving the death of Jean Charles de Menezes and policing of the G20 demonstration.