A career diplomat was today announced as the acting US Consul General.

Tom Edwardsen took over from Alan Purcell, also an acting appointment, who left the island this week.

Mr Edwardsen is expected to remain in the job until a permanent post-holder takes over in the summer.

He will be in charge of the protection of US citizens on the island and strengthening the cultural and economic ties between the island and the US.

Mr Edwardsen has spent most of his career as a foreign service officer.

His last posts were the management of the assignments division of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and the assignments division of the Bureau of International Organisation Affairs.

He earlier worked as a senior watch officer in the State Department operations centre, as a political officer in New Delhi, India and as Vice Consul and special assistant to the Ambassador in Abuja, Nigeria.

Mr Edwardsen, originally from Seattle in Washington State, has also been a general services officer in Peshawar, Pakistan and Hanoi, Vietnam.

He has a Master's degree in public administration and a BA from the University of Washington.

The father of two is married to fellow foreign service officer Jessica.

The post became vacant after controversial beauty products tycoon Lee Rizzuto, a personal appointment of then-President Trump, quit the job in the wake of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory last November.