Vice Lord-Lieutenant

Born at Butleigh, near Glastonbury, Edward (Ted) James Allen lives near Shepton Mallet with his wife Pat and their two dogs. His family have lived in the area for over 450 years. They have 2 married sons; Jonathan, an Airline Captain based at Gatwick (with two daughters) and Nigel, a stage & screen actor who lives near Feshford, Bath. Educated at Wells and Bristol, Ted served in the former Bristol Constabulary and then Avon and Somerset Police and, after a range of specialist roles and responsibilities – including being the regular ‘face’ of the Police on the weekly HTV ‘Police 5’ programme, spent six years as Chief Superintendent, District Commander of East Somerset. After leaving the Police in 2001 he became Business Director of The Marine Society and Sea Cadets based in Lambeth, London and then in 2008 became CEO of a child medical and welfare charity operating in Western Kenya. He is currently a member of Council of the Royal Bath and West Society and is a Trustee and former President of the Mid Somerset Show. He was Chairman of Governors of the Fosse Federation of Schools, Independent Chairman of the Bath and Wells Diocesan Safeguarding Group and is a committee member of the Somerset and Dorset Branch of the MSSC.  

His hobbies are walking with his dogs, watching rugby, maintaining cars and motorcycles, music and working on his home, the garden and surrounding land.