THE West Mercia Magistrates' Court Committee Clerk has been appointed personal assistant to the chairwoman of West Mercia Probation Board.

Fiona Cooksey was Magistrates' Courts Committee Clerk for 14 years.

"Fiona brings a broad experience of the criminal justice system and we will utilise her knowledge and expertise in the area of committee clerk to the board," said Tricia Bradbury, chairwoman.

Ms Cooksey joined Hereford and Worcester Magistrates' Courts Committee as personal assistant and committee clerk at Worcester in 1988 and from 1989 to 1993 worked in Ledbury.

She spent the next three years supporting the committee's acting clerk and senior administration and, when Nick Jones was appointed chief executive in 1996, she worked closely with him in supporting the committee as well as having lead responsibility for personnel, budgets, buildings and health and safety.

With the formation of the new West Mercia Magistrates' Courts Committee in 2001, she became resources manager and, as well as continuing as clerk to the committee, Ms Cooksey retained responsibility for budgets and buildings.