Quick spin at the top

THE Guardia Civil has a new female boss, a trained journalist, after its previous leader resigned over a corruption scandal.

Mercedes Gonzalez stepped in after Maria Gamez’ quit amid a scandal in which several commanders are accused of profiting from building work on police barracks.

Gamez, 54, put the blame for her departure down to the implication of her husband, lawyer Juan Carlos Martinez, in a separate corruption case. He has been dragged into the high profile Mediador scandal, which involved backhanders and bungs in return for contracts in the Canary Islands. The new broom, Gonzalez, 47, who has worked in politics, studied journalism at university.