The Hull Daily Mail has been thanked for supporting Humberside's under-fire police chief.

David Westwood was responding to the paper's unwavering support during an unprecedented battle to save his job.

Since Home Secretary David Blunkett ordered his suspension in June, the Hull Daily Mail has campaigned for him to be allowed to finish the job he started.

It claimed he was being made a scapegoat after he admitted the failures of his force in dealing with Ian Huntley, who went on to murder Soham 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

Mr Westwood was eventually reinstated a week ago.

He told the newspaper: "I would like to thank the Mail for its support.

"I realise it is unusual for a newspaper to campaign on an issue like this and my wife Wendy and I would like to express our thanks for what you have done and the way you have gone about it."

Editor John Meehan said: "The police chief was open and honest and faced the music when other senior figures implicated in the scandal were trying to cover their backs."

After the Mail printed a front page comment calling on members of Humberside Police Authority to support their chief constable, the authority asked the Home Secretary to reconsider.

When Kevin Wells, the father of Holly, claimed it would be a "travesty" if the chief lost his job, the Mail printed a second front page comment urging Mr Blunkett to listen.

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