BBC News
Thursday, 21 December, 2000, 09:54 GMT

RUC man gets Kosovo
command

Sir Ronnie Flanagan: Travelled to meet RUC volunteers
in Kosovo

A senior Royal Ulster Constabulary officer is to
become commander of the United Nations
policing operation in Kosovo.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Albiston will be
responsible for leading the 8,000 international
and local officers who police the province.

He is to take up his year long post in January.

Mr Albiston currently has operational command
of the RUC's North region and is based at its
headquarters in Belfast.

He has been speaking about the role of the
police force.

On Thursday he said:
"The UN mission in
Kosovo is designed to
bring peace and
stability to a province
where we have seen
the problems which
existed during the war
of the 1999 period.

"The police within that
mission are there to
establish the normal
provisions of law and
order which we take for granted in the west."

A modern history graduate of Exeter College,
Oxford, Mr Albiston is married to a doctor and
has four children.

He first joined the Metropolitan Police in
London in 1975 and spent time on patrol duties
as a constable, sergeant and inspector.

Upon his transfer to the RUC in 1989, he was
appointed deputy sub-divisional commander in
Lisburn.

He progressed through the ranks until he
became Assistant Chief Constable in May 1998
when he took over the responsibility for
management support.

The RUC's 60-strong contingent have been
praised for their peace-keeping contribution in
Kosovo.

Northern Ireland security minister Adam Ingram
praised the complement from the province
during a visit to the Kosovar capital Pristina
last December.

RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan has
also visited the force's contingent in Kosovo.