The Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have announced the appointment of Antony Townsend as complaints commissioner.

The commissioner is responsible for the conduct of the final stage of investigations into complaints in connection with how the FCA and the Bank, exercise, or fail to exercise, their relevant functions. The role is independent from these organisations.

The term of office of the current commissioner, Sir Anthony Holland, comes to an end on the April 30 and Antony Townsend will take up his new role on May 1.

Martin Wheatley, chief executive of the FCA said: “The role of the commissioner is an important one and I welcome Antony to the role.  I look forward to working with the new commissioner going forward to ensure that the system works for those who feel they have been treated unfairly by the regulators.”

Prior to his appointment Townsend was the first chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.