UK to appoint top cop as new antislavery chief
Predecessor cites government interference
London — One of Britain's most senior police officers is to be appointed the country's new antislavery chief almost nine months after the inaugural commissioner resigned citing government interference. Sara Thornton, head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council since 2015, will take up the role later this year, the The Times newspaper reported on Sunday. Britain's home office said it could not confirm the appointment, and that a candidate would be “announced shortly”. Thornton could not be reached for comment. A source with knowledge of the situation said that Thornton’s name had been “heard on the grapevine” but no appointment has been confirmed. Kevin Hyland was appointed as the inaugural independent antislavery commissioner in 2014 as part of Britain’s landmark Modern Slavery Act, but he resigned last May and left the post in August, saying he had been frustrated by government meddling. Hyland was widely hailed for helping to champion the world-first law and pushing the UN to adop...
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