Serious Fraud Office (SFO) insider Robert Wardle has been named as the new director of the SFO, taking over from Rosalind Wright when she steps down in the spring.

Wardle, currently an assistant director with the SFO, has been a solicitor with the body since it was set up in 1988 and is understood to be a popular choice. He was chosen for the job, which offers an annual salary of £140,000, by the attorney general, Lord Goldsmith.