A senior figure from the Home Office has stepped down as a director at the Police Digital Service (PDS), several weeks after the organisation lost its chief information security officer (CISO) to the private sector.
A Companies House filing confirms Bethan Page-Jones, the head of the Home Office’s national police capabilities unit, had her appointment terminated on 14 May 2025.
Computer Weekly understands Page-Jones’ departure is linked to her assuming a new role at the Home Office, having recently been appointed as the director of strategy, capability and resources for the department’s public safety group.
PDS would not comment on Page-Jones’ departure, but instead instructed Computer Weekly to contact the Home Office, who confirmed she is no longer working with the PDS.
Page-Jones’ departure comes several weeks after the organisation’s CISO – Jason Corbishley – announced on professional social networking site LinkedIn that he had left the PDS after four years.
He is now working as a consulting director at cyber security-focused threat research company Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, having previously served as the chief technology officer of the UK policing sector’s National Enabling Programme, as well as the head of ICT at Cumbria Constabulary.
In a statement to Computer Weekly, a PDS spokesperson said: “The recruitment process for a new CISO is underway, and in the meantime, a highly qualified interim CISO has been appointed from within the organisation.”
News of the departures comes 10 months after details emerged that two PDS employees were arrested in July 2024, after allegations of malpractice were made to the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners concerning the behaviour of individuals working there.
These allegations were passed on to the City of London Police to investigate further, which confirmed two members of staff had been arrested, interviewed and bailed for suspected bribery, fraud and misconduct in public office.
At the time of writing, the matter was still under investigation by the City of London Police, but in the wake of the arrests being made public, several high-profile employees of PDS left the organisation, including former CEO Ian Bell.
PDS also stated at the time that the organisation would be the subject of a “thorough review”, while the employees involved would also be expected to participate in an HR-led misconduct review.
Organisational review
In a separate statement to Computer Weekly, PDS CEO Tony Eastaugh confirmed the organisational review was completed several months ago.
“We concluded a significant reset programme at the end of last year, which allowed us to impose a new operating model and an ambitious strategic delivery plan to support policing and public safety,” he said. “Our organisational focus is delivering core and ‘live’ services at greater speed, scale and efficiency.”
PDS, incorporated in June 2012, is classified as a private company with no shareholders, and its activities are funded by the Home Office and the wider policing sector.
The organisation is responsible for overseeing the development and delivery of the National Police Digital Strategy, but doubts about its future have dogged the PDS in recent months, after the government announced plans to create a National Centre of Policing that will have IT in its purview.
