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His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has announced the appointment of Kathryn Stone OBE as HM Inspector for the Wales and Western Region.
Stone, who formally took up the role in March 2025, brings a wealth of experience from across the legal, regulatory and public service sectors. Most recently, she served as Chair of the Bar Standards Board and as a non-executive member of the Board of the Crown Prosecution Service.
Over the course of her career, she has held a series of prominent roles dedicated to public service and accountability. Between 2018 and 2023, Stone was Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, overseeing MPs’ conduct and upholding parliamentary rules. Prior to that, she was the Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales, and a commissioner at both the Commission for Victims and Survivors for Northern Ireland and the (then) Independent Police Complaints Commission, where she had responsibility for police conduct investigations across seven forces in the Midlands and North of England.
Stone’s earlier work included 11 years as Chief Executive of the charity Voice UK, supporting people with learning disabilities and other vulnerable people who had experienced crime and abuse. She was awarded an OBE in 2007 for services to people with learning disabilities, and in 2018 received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Derby in recognition of her contribution to public service.
HMICFRS said it looked forward to the “valuable insights and experience” Stone would bring to the inspectorate to support improvements in policing and fire services, with the ultimate goal of making communities safer.
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