Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Ackerley has retired

Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Ackerley, 51, has served North Wales Police for more than 30 years.

He was involved in securing the conviction of Peter Moore, a Towyn cinema owner now serving four life sentences for murder.

He also investigated the abduction of Lydia Humphreys from Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in 1993.

"The offender walked into Glan Clwyd and stole the baby," he said.

"It took us a day-and-a-half to get her back.

You're providing justice for people who are no longer here Det Chief Supt Peter Ackerley

"I'll never forget the moment we found her. Officers were bringing Lydia back to the hospital, her mother didn't know we'd found her.

"I was with her mother when we heard a baby cry nearby and she shouted, 'That's my baby."

He added: "It was amazing that she recognised her cry."

Most recently he headed the investigation into the murder of 72-year-old Brian Dodd in Prestatyn.

The victim was killed in a frenzied knife attack.

Speaking at the time of the crime in March, Det Chief Supt Ackerley said the attack was horrendous.

"This is the worst attack I have seen in 30 years as a police officer, the injuries were significant," he said.

Mr Ackerley also investigated the murders of an elderly widow and a farm hand battered to death in Llangollen in May last year.

Det Chief Supt Peter Ackerley worked on the Peter Moore case

The case was solved with the arrest and conviction of farm hand Martin Cartwright.

He was jailed for life in April after he admitted killing 88-year-old Elsie Davies and Joseph Ashton, 82.

He said it was satisfying to see a case through from start to finish.

"It gives you immediate satisfaction when you go to a scene where you are starting with a blank piece of paper.

"You're providing justice for people who are no longer here," he said.

However, it is his work on the North Wales Child Abuse Inquiry in 1997 which the married father-of-two is most proud of.

A team of 30 officers followed 6,000 lines of enquiry and 3,732 statements were recorded.

"The team and myself were committed in the search for the truth," he said.

Mr Ackerley said he plans to celebrate his retirement with his family.

"I'm going to make up for all the parties and bonfire nights I missed," he added.