Michael Todd, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, was found dead on Mount Snowdon on 11 March, 2008. He was 50.

Mr Todd was one of the rising stars of the British police force and had been tipped as a possible future Commissioner of the Met.

He was a media-savvy and charismatic leader who courted a lot of positive publicity during an era in which his force had to deal with new terrorism threats, gun crime and accusations of widespread racism among his officers.

Michael J Todd was born in 1957. He joined Essex Police at the age of 19 while studying politics at Essex University. He served both in and out of uniform and was also among the first officers to be part of an exchange scheme which saw him split his time between the Essex and Metropolitan forces.

In 1995, he was made Assistant Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police and three years later he returned to London as Deputy Assistant Commissioner, taking charge of policing May Day demos, the Nottingham Hill carnival and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002.

Later that year, he transferred to Manchester to head up Britain’s third largest force. He was instrumental in helping transform the image of the city from that of a gun and drugs capital to an affluent and vibrant metropolis.

In 2003 Greater Manchester Police was the subject of a BBC documentary, The Secret Policeman, which included footage of trainee officers making racist remarks and dressing up in mock Ku Klux Klan garb. Later that year he suffered the loss of Detective Constable Stephen Oake from a fatal stabbing during an anti-terror raid.

But Mr Todd was proactive in restoring his force’s reputation. His publicity stunts included volunteering to be Tasered to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of the weapon and carrying out grass roots police work on the streets of Manchester with camera crews in tow.

Whenever Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair came under pressure – most notably following the shooting of the innocent man, Jean Charles de Menezes, on the London Underground – Mr Todd’s name was always thrown into the hat of possible replacements as head of the Met by the media.

He was reported missing on the morning on 11 March, 2008, and rescuers found his body at the foot of a cliff at a beauty spot in the Bwlch Glas area of Snowdon that afternoon. Notes addressed to his family were found near his body, leading to an inquest being called to investigate the possibility that he committed suicide.

John Stalker, former Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, paid tribute to his former colleague: "All in all I think the force and the public have lost a very good man. There are plenty of managers in the police force but this was a man who was a leader."

Bernard Hogan-Howe, Chief Constable of neighbouring Merseyside Police, said: "This is a terrible shock. It's a great tragedy for Michael's family and all the people who work with him. Michael was a great character, who was full of life and enthusiasm. He had a very sharp mind and had a true police officer's instinct. Michael was incredibly energetic and will be sorely missed by his family and us all."

As well as a first class honours degree and a masters, his accolades included the Queen’s Police Medal which he received in 2001 and the vice-presidency of the Association of Chief Police Officers. He was very protective about his private life, but his official police biography said his pastimes included mountain biking and studying military history.

He was survived by his wife and their daughter and twin sons. His daughter Catherine sang Somewhere, from West Side Story, at a memorial service held at Manchester Cathedral on 11 April, 2008.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, former Met Commissioner Lord Stevens, his successor Sir Ian Blair and Shadow Home Secretary David Davies attended. Representatives from every police force in the country were also present at the service.

Dave Whatton, acting chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, said: "One of Michael's favourite sayings was, 'I'm not a politician, I'm just a simple policeman. He wasn't, he was nationally significant."