Patrick Swaffer will be in charge of the British movie censor, for which he once headed legal affairs.

LONDON -- The British Board of Film Classification has appointed Patrick Swaffer as president.

Swaffer, appointed Wednesday, succeeds Quentin Thomas, who steps down after 10 years.

Swaffer, a senior lawyer by trade, is currently a legal consultant and is a partner in Media Compliance Services LLP.

He knows the BBFC well having been its legal adviser for many years, a role which he will now relinquish.

He said: “I am delighted to have been appointed president of the BBFC in their centenary year – a remarkable achievement of longevity reflecting the continuing public desire for the prior classification of films and DVDs."

Swaffey's appointment will be formally rubber-stamped after the Culture, Media and Sport minister Maria Miller proposes his name to Parliament.