Howard Collins and Neil Scales OBE are to become new members of the British Transport Police Authority, Transport Minister Chris Mole announced today.
Mr Collins is Chief Operating Officer of London Underground and has more than thirty years of experience in the transport industry. He will fill the position traditionally held by a representative of London Underground, which was vacated by Michael Brown until last year.
Mr Scales (pictured) is Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, the body which coordinates transport in Merseyside, and also has worked in the transport industry for more than thirty years. He will replace Ray O’Toole, who leaves BTPA at the end of August.
“I was delighted to hear of this appointment and I warmly welcome Howard and Neil among our number,” said BTPA Chairman Millie Banerjee.
“One of the strengths of BTPA is its membership, which represents a mix of passenger and rail industry interests. In Howard and Neil we now have representatives for two of the busiest transport networks in the country.
“The result will be a police force that better understands the industry’s security needs, and a railway that is safer than it ever has been.”
Ms Banerjee also paid tribute to Mr O’Toole, who leaves the Police Authority following his appointment as Chief Operating Officer of the National Express Group.
“I would also like to thank Ray for his four years of service to the Authority, and wish him well in his new role at National Express.”
The new appointments take effect on Tuesday 1 September 2009, and bring BTPA’s membership to fifteen.
The Department for Transport’s announcement can be found here.
For more information, contact
Michael Daventry
Communications Officer
British Transport Police Authority
Tel: 020 7383 5678
Email: [email protected]
About British Transport Police Authority
BTPA is an independent body of that oversees the British Transport Police. It is composed of 14 members who represent the rail operators and passengers. It maintains the force’s budget, allocates resources and makes senior appointments to the force. For more information, visit http://www.btpa.police.uk.
British Transport Police is the specialist, national police service for Britain’s railways. It deals with major and minor crime, disorder and incidents, and covers the rail system in England, Wales and Scotland. Its police officers, Police Community Support Officers, Special Constables and support staff are recruited and trained like those of local forces and have the same powers.