Mr Boutcher was appointed to success Simon Byrne, who resigned in September, and served as interim Chief Constable since last month.

“I congratulate John Boutcher on his appointment to Chief Constable and wish him every success in the position,” said Policing Board member Mr Blair.

“There is no doubt it is a challenging role but one I hope he is able to make a success of. Amongst the most pressing issues facing the PSNI are an extremely stretched budget and workforce, as well as increasing community confidence again following a series of high profile incidents.

“Those fundamental challenges have not gone away with the change of Chief Constable. Those systemic challenges need to be met by Mr Boutcher and his senior management team if he is to make a success of this role. Alliance looks forward to working with him as he attempts to meet them.”