The chief constable met senior staff on arrival

David Westwood, whose Humberside force was found by an inquiry to have failed to keep proper records about killer Ian Huntley, said lessons had been learned.

It comes after Sir Michael Bichard, who led the inquiry, asked for proof his recommendations were being implemented.

Mr Westwood was suspended over the case but returned to work in September.

His suspension was ordered by Home Secretary David Blunkett after the Bichard report, sparking a row with the Humberside Police Authority, which wanted him to stay.

'Human failings'

They eventually reached a compromise when Mr Westwood agreed to step down from the job in 2005 provided he was allowed to return to work in the meantime.

Speaking at the Royal Commonwealth Society in London on Tuesday, Mr Westwood announced new procedures had been put in place.

He said: "Our principal failings were the human ones. The things that went wrong did so because the information gathering, work routines, systems, audits and supervision were poor.

It is highly unlikely that the errors made by Humberside Police will be repeated David Westwood

"I set them out frankly and openly in my written and verbal evidence to the inquiry and have devoted enormous energy to putting them right."

He added: "The result is that I can today announce that the operation I set up to put things right has been completed. It is highly unlikely that the errors made by Humberside Police will be repeated."

He highlighted six key lessons which had to be taken on board. These included good intelligence gathering and analysis, good leadership, better knowledge of IT systems and providing clear and accurate policies and practices.

He said: "Humberside has learnt the lessons of Soham and has put right what went wrong. We now have amongst the best intelligence and vetting systems and people in the country."

The Bichard inquiry was set up to discover how Ian Huntley was able to get a job as a school caretaker despite a string of sex allegations against him.