The UK has announced a new ambassador to Israel, to take up the position in June.

The Foreign Office revealed on Thursday that Neil Wigan, who has previously served as British ambassador to Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will succeed David Quarrey, the current ambassador, in five months’ time.

Mr Wigan was also chief of the political section at the British embassy in Tel Aviv from 2002 to 2006, and was head of the Foreign Office’s Arab, Israel and North Africa group from 2006 to 2008.

In a tweet from Mr Wigan in Hebrew, he said he was “happy to be returning to Israel as ambassador.

“The first role I held abroad was in Israel and I always hoped for a chance to serve there again."

The Foreign Office said that Mr Quarrey, who has served as ambassador to Israel from 2015, would be “transferring to another diplomatic service appointment”.

Mark Regev, Israel’s ambassador to the UK, wished mr Wigan “a huge Mazal Tov".

He said he was “looking forward to working with him". Mr Regev said Mr Quarrey was leaving behind an "impressive record including a trade partnership that reached £8.6bn last year”.

The Board of Deputies also congratulated Mr Wigan on his appointment and said it “look[ed] forward to working” with him.

The organisation also thanked Mr Quarrey "for all his hard work to strengthen UK-Israel relations”.