The Property Ombudsman has appointed Claire Bassett as the new chair of its board.   

She replaces Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe at the end of her eight-year term at the end of this month. 

The body has provided consumers and property agents with an alternative dispute resolution service since 1990. 

It can make awards in individual cases up to £25,000 for actual and quantifiable losses, aggravation, distress and inconvenience caused by the actions of an agent. 

However, the ombudsman is not a regulator and does not have the authority to take legal action, impose fines or dictate the way agents conduct their business. 

Bassett currently serves on the board of the Chartered Insurance Institute and as a non-executive director of the Serious Fraud Office, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Law Commission. 

She says: “I have been made very welcome by everyone I have met so far and am looking forward to meeting with colleagues and stakeholders as soon as possible.” 

The service is currently led by an interim chief executive Andy Clachers and an interim ombudsman Lesley Horton.