Fraser Sampson has been appointed as the government’s independent biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner. He has taken on the new role, which consolidates those of individual commissioners for the two technologies, after the relevant predecessors, Tony Porter and Paul Wiles, reached the end of their terms. The statutory responsibilities and duties for both roles will remain the same. Sampson was formerly an honorary professor and research fellow at Sheffield Hallam University, and has had senior executive roles with the police, fire and crime commissioners in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire and the Civil Nuclear Police Authority. He was also a police officer between 1982 and 1996 for West Yorkshire Police and the British Transport Police.