SARA Thornton, the chief constable of Thames Valley Police has come in at number 18 on the BBC Woman’s Hour’s inaugural power list.
A panel of judges compiled a list of the country's 100 most influential females for the popular Radio 4 show.
Chf Cons Thornton had the highest ranking for any member of the police force on the list.
She has been Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police since April 2007, having started her career in 1986.
She was elected vice-president of the Association of Chief Police Officers in 2011.
In 2006, Chf Cons Thornton was awarded the Queens Police Medal and in the 2011 New Years Honours she was awarded a CBE.
The top 20 also included such names as author JK Rowling, Home Secretary and maidenhead MP Theresa May, who came in at number two, and The Queen, who topped the list.
