The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition at County Hall, and member of the Police and Crime panel, has slammed the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner after he permanently appointed his election agent and campaign press officer to tax-payer funded £65k a year jobs.

Cllr Glynane said “It really is unbelievable. The Conservative Police Commissioner has given his campaign staff permanent tax-payer funded jobs at £65k a year. Given the outcry when he doled out the positions on an interim basis you’d have thought he would have learnt. This is pure cronyism.”

“What makes matters worse is that in his budget he reduced the funds available for front-line policing. We could have had 45 more police officers on the street. Instead we have Conservative party political activists, with no record of involvement with the police, sitting in an office on £65k a year. The Conservatives have made the wrong choice yet again, choosing cronyism and jobs for the boys and girls over making our streets safer.”