New Detective Superintendent for Preston and South Ribble

Mark Howarth-Oates is the man responsible for investigations in Preston and surrounding area Pic: Lancashire Police

Lancashire Police’s South Division have welcomed a new Detective Superintendent.

Detective Superintendent Mark Haworth-Oates will be responsible for investigations across Preston, Chorley, South Ribble and Lancashire.

Mark has worked in a variety of roles since he joined the force at the age of 20, starting as a PC in Accrington.

He has experience in response roles, counter-terrorism, public protection, and criminal investigations and has worked most recently in the force’s major investigation team.

Mark has also worked on high-profile cases, including the murder of Edward Forrester in Blackpool in 2023 and has been the Senior Investigating Officer on cases in the South Division.

He said: “My proudest achievement in policing so far has been in the role of Senior Investigating Officer for several murder investigations.

“Getting justice for the victim and their family is my motivation, as well as ensuring that those responsible for such horrendous offences can no longer be a risk to others.

“I’m looking forward now to working in South division with an overview on all criminal investigations and ensuring that as a division we deliver on keeping people safe and having pride in the investigations that we deliver for all victims of crime.”

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