by Jonathan Morris BBC News South West

Maria Wallis: Faced protests by civilian staff over pay review

With hindsight, she could have included herself in that prediction.

Her work with the force, which she has led since 2002, has come at a price - resulting in her early retirement.

The decision came after the BBC learned senior police authority figures who employ her requested she stand down after they lost confidence in her.

Mrs Wallis, 50, who has been in the post since 2002, was initially popular for being seen as more relaxed and approachable than her predecessor, Sir John Evans.

Officers were also impressed when she declined a tailor-made uniform, instead taking one off the peg.

But in 2004 detectives were involved in a row over pay and resources during a series of murder cases and some withdrew out-of-hours cover in protest.

'Lack of understanding'

Rank and file officers were also angered by the publication of some beat officers' photographs on the internet and legal action was threatened before a compromise was reached.

The force said at the time that the move was because its "policing style meets the changing needs of local communities".

Last year Mrs Wallis took responsibility for a pay review which meant hundreds of civilian workers faced losing up to �8,000 from their salaries.

The force later backed down over the review after a series of protests by banner-waving staff outside police HQ in Exeter.

An investigation by the Metropolitan Police into the row found that "there appeared to be a lack of understanding of the strategic importance and significance of the project by some members of the command team [the force's most senior officers]".

A row erupted over putting pictures of officers on the force website

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is also investigating allegations of serious professional misconduct by Mrs Wallis in the pay review following complaints by a former chief superintendent.

Mrs Wallis has been praised for an increase in the number of beat officers from about 3,000 when she joined to 3,500 now.

Devon and Cornwall saw the second largest increase in police officers last year with a 4.1% rise, according to the Home Office.

She has also been pressing for a rise in police community support officers.

Earlier this month figures showed the force had the fourth largest reduction of total crime nationally, down 7% between April 2005 and March 2006 against a national average of 1%.

All of this, she said, meant "We are now the sixth safest policing area in the country."

Mrs Wallis, who is married, joined the Metropolitan Police as a constable in 1976 after graduating from Bristol University with a degree in Social Administration and Sociology.

5,800 staff

She worked in south London as a constable, sergeant and inspector before joining New Scotland Yard in 1987 as a chief inspector with responsibility for developing policies on domestic violence and racial attacks.

In 1991 she was promoted to work as a detective superintendent in south east London and in 1994 she joined the Sussex force as assistant chief constable, rising to deputy chief constable in January 2000.

When Mrs Wallis took up her post as a Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable in 2002 she was one of only four women to have held the position in any English police force.

Mrs Wallis, who earns about �130,000 a year, controlled an annual budget of �243m with a total workforce of more than 5,800, including 3,500 officers.

Announcing her immediate retirement, she added that the last two months had also been very challenging personally as well as professionally because her mother died last month and her father subsequently had a major operation and was still unwell.

She said she had always put the needs of the force first and was "enormously proud of the achievements of our staff, in particular the recent excellent performance".

She continued: "I am confident that the staff will continue to deliver a high standard of policing across both counties and the Isles of Scilly."

Police Authority Chairman David Money said: "Clearly she was under tremendous pressure personally and professionally.