Jacqui Smith arrived at the Home Office headquarters in Westminster and said she was "immensely proud" to take on the role.

Ms Smith, 44, entered Parliament in 1997 as part of former Prime Minister Tony Blair's landslide victory and has been promoted from Chief Whip by new PM Gordon Brown.

The new Home Secretary was greeted with a kiss on both cheeks by the department's top civil servant Sir David Normington as she stepped from her armoured ministerial Jaguar.

She said: "I am immensely proud to be asked by Gordon Brown to take on this role. It's hard to imagine a greater responsibility for someone elected by the British people than to be tasked with the job of protecting our borders, communities and people in order that they can get on with their lives. I am very proud of being appointed and I am now going to get on with it."

Former teacher Ms Smith lives in Redditch with her husband Richard and sons James and Michael. She entered the Government in 1999 and has served at the former Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Education and Skills. She was appointed Chief Whip in May last year.

Responding to the new appointment, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers Ken Jones said it was "historic" to see a woman in the role.

He said: "She has quite an impressive track record and that is all to the good because this is a difficult department. I think it is quite encouraging given her experience across of a number of ministries.

"She has got a reputation for being able to bridge different opinions from her time as Chief Whip, which is important in our job as police because of a lack of consensus at the moment.

"She has a good relationship with cops in the West Midlands and we are going to do our best with her, as we do with all who take on this role."