Stephen House, 54, who rode to yesterday's press call at the police training college at Tulliallan Castle in Fife where he was unveiled as the chief constable of the new single police force, said there would be "a new dawn for policing".

However, the biker said he would maintain his hands-on approach – often turning up at stations unannounced on his BMW.

Mr House plans to start next week with a tour of Scotland in search of ideas.

He said: "I will be travelling the country on a regular basis. The bike is around the back – I came on the bike today."

He joked: "It will be a highly devolved model with decision-making capability at the local level."