Kingston police borough commander Ian Smith has announced he is retiring this summer.

Detective Superintendent Smith, who only took over the role from Martin Greenslade in January, said his decision was to avoid “uncertainty” over his future while Metropolitan Police discusses whether to implement regulation A19 – a power allowing a force to retire officers after 30 years of service.

Det Sup Smith, who joined Kingston police from Southwark in January 2012, handed in his notice two months ago, but has only now gone public with the news.

His last day will be Friday, June 7.

Det Sup Smith, 47, a father of two from Thames Ditton, said: “I’ve had quite a colourful and varied career which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and I don’t regret any of it.

“There’s some uncertainty about police officers who have got 30 years’ service.

“That means once you’ve reached 30 years of service, it’s an option for Met Police to dispose of your services.

“There are no proposals to do that now, but there are discussions.

“I thought it was honourable and best for the borough not to have that uncertainty and to ensure there was continuity over the next two years.

“I have given sufficient notice for a replacement to be found before my last day of work on Friday, June 7.

“That said, there will be continuity of leadership of Kingston police as the senior management team are still here and will be for the foreseeable future.”

Det Sup Smith joined the Met as a police cadet in 1982, at the age of 17. He spent the vast majority of his career in CID, where he worked as a senior investigator.

In 2004, he led the investigation into the killing of Tae Hui Dalton, whose dismembered body was discovered in a chest freezer at her home in Kingston.

Her husband Paul Dalton, a language teacher who ran Kingston English Language School in Castle Street, was jailed for five years for manslaughter in 2005.