Conservative Darryl Preston wins Cambridgeshire and Peterborough police and crime election

Cambridgeshire’s Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner has been elected for a second term.

Darryl Preston, a retired police officer, took 38 per cent of the vote, which took place across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough alongside the local elections.

His closest rival, Labour’s Anna Smith, a former teacher and Cambridge councillor, took 36 per cent of the vote.

The Liberal Democrats’ Edna Murphy, a former magistrate and Cambridgeshire County Council councillor, took 26 per cent.

A Police and Crime Commissioner’s primary function is to appoint a Chief Constable for Cambridgeshire Constabulary and hold them to account for running the force.

This can mean dismissing them in exceptional circumstances.

They also put towards an annual budget, which includes a council tax precept.

Mr Preston increased this by £12.96 per year earlier this year.

In Peterborough, Mr Preston picked up 17,360 votes to Ms Smith’s 16,884 and Ms Murphy’s 8,793.

This means Mr Preston won more comfortably in the city, with 40 per cent of the vote, than elsewhere in the county.

But the Conservative Party suffered heavy losses at Peterborough City Council’s elections, with their group halving in size from 22 councillors to just 11.

The party still picked up the most votes overall, however, despite being narrowly beaten in several wards and gained a seat from the Liberal Democrats in Paston and Walton.