New Chief of Defence Staff appointed

The Queen has approved the appointment of a new head of the British Armed Forces.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach of the Royal Air Force has been named as the new Chief of the Defence Staff.

He is expected to take over the role in the summer when General Sir Nicholas Houghton retires.

Sir Stuart is the current Vice Chief of Defence Staff. The father-of-two from the West Midlands was commissioned into the RAF in 1977, and has served in Iraq, Belize, Hong Kong and Germany