The most senior civil servant in the defence ministry is poised to take over as the new head of the national police force, the NRC reports on Thursday.

Erik Akerboom, 54, has been secretary general at the defence ministry for three years and is being tipped as the successor to Gerard Bouman who announced he was standing down three months ago

Akerboom went to police training college in the 1980s and worked for the police in various capacities. He also spent time at the AIVD security service and the counter terrorism unit NCTB before taking over the helm at the defence ministry.

Bouman stepped down four years before his contract was due to end because of problems with the creation of a national police force out of 26 individual forces.

Neither the justice ministry, which controls the police, nor Akerboom would comment on the reports, the NRC says.