INVERCLYDE'S police commander is retiring after a 'full-on' tenure which has seen organised crime seriously disrupted and arrests made over the terrifying spate of petrol bombings in Greenock.

But Chief Superintendent Alan Murray says he wishes he'd had more time in the job that has left him 'enormously impressed' with the level of community spirit and partnership working in the district.

Mr Murray, 56 — who has served a full 30 years as a police officer — says he has no immediate idea what he'll do after leaving his post on January 29 because he's not had any time to think about it yet.

He said: "Retiral has crept up on me - it's certainly not been a long, slow glide into it because it's full-on here in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.

"There's quite a lot I want to do in the house, but it will probably be summer before I make a decision on whether to go to work or not."

He joked: "But it won't involve any weekend work!"

Ch Supt Murray said that serving as commander of the Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Division since July 2019 has been a 'massive highlight' of his career.

He counts the targeting of drug-dealing organised criminals and the arrests made during the recent Operation Tell probe into the fire bombings as major successes.

Mr Murray said: "Operation Tell was a really difficult one for us.

"But through our partnership working, with the fire and rescue service and Inverclyde Council, we made several arrests and we reduced a big risk to the community, and to innocent people in the community.

"During the last year or so serious crime rates have dropped significantly, partially due to Covid, but they were already dropping anyway and that has been maintained.

"We have made a real impact on organised crime and the illegal drug trade.

"Crime gangs thought they could do what they liked and we've proved to them that is not the case.

"Organised crime has felt our presence, there is absolutely no doubt about that."

Ch Supt Murray admits he has mixed feelings as he steps down from his key role.

He added: "Being divisional commander in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde has been a massive highlight for me, I only wish it could have been for longer.

"Ideally I would have had two or three years at it.

"There are probably a lot of things I'd still want to do.

"But I'm happy that I'm passing the division over in a fairly good state."

Highlighting the importance of togetherness in the area, Mr Murray said: "I'm enormously impressed by the community spirit in Inverclyde.

"The perception of the area is very different from the reality.

"Yes, there are real economic problems but there is also a real sense of community and Inverclyde is a really safe place to live and work."

He added: "We have a good group of officers in Greenock, many of whom live in Inverclyde and they are heavily invested in the area.

"I have never had to pull someone aside and tell them they could be doing better."

Ch Supt Murray also praised the Tele for the assistance the paper has provided to his hard-working officers.

He said: "I really appreciate the support of the Greenock Telegraph.

"The newspaper has provided a real link between ourselves and the community, which has been invaluable.

"I genuinely mean that."

He added: "I have real mixed feelings about leaving but it's time to go — I've done my full 30 years.

"But I will miss it, you're never really off-duty.

"It will be a big transition for me."