FORMER Airport fire chief John Refault will stand for the vacant Constable seat in St Peter at the end of the year.

Mr Refault, who is into his second term as a parish procureur, has announced that he will stand to replace sitting Constable Tom du Feu, who will step down at the end of the year after 20 years serving the parish as a Deputy and Constable. But he is not likely to be the only candidate – parish Deputy Collin Egré and Chef de Police Centenier Malcolm L’Amy have said they will stand if asked.

Mr Refault (59) worked as a firefighter at the Airport from 1974 to 2003, spending the last six years as chief officer.
Since then he has worked with Broadlands Estates as a self-employed property negotiator. He served in the parish honorary police, helped at the youth club and in 1986 formed the parish Battle of Flowers Association to produce the first parish entry in 26 years.

Mr Refault said that the response of the parish to the recent Broadlands fire had convinced him to stand. He said: ‘The extreme good will and generosity of parish people in particular, and from right across the Island, made me realise that being involved was something that I felt extremely happy about. It made me feel somewhat humbled that these same people were encouraging me to take a further step into parish and political life.’

Mr Refault and his wife Christine have two children and two grandchildren. He was born in Jersey and educated at St Peter’s School and Hautlieu.