Sue Mountstevens wins Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner elections (From Chard & Ilminster News)

6:11pm

SUE Mountstevens is Avon and Somerset's Police Crime Commissioner.

The Independent candidate was officially elected minutes ago after second preference votes were counted which she contested with Conservative Ken Maddock.

The turnout for yesterday's voting was 19.58%.

4:32pm

AFTER Stage one: Sue Mountstevens (Ind) - 83,985; Ken Maddock (Con) - 57,094; John Savage (Lab) - 49,989, Pete Levy (Lib Dem) - 43,446.

As no candidate received 50% of the vote, it will go to second round with Sue Mountstevens and Ken Maddock contesting.

Second preference votes will now be counted.

More to follow...

12:27pm

OFFICIAL counting is now underway.

There are strong suggestions indicating Independent candidate Sue Mountstevens has won the race.

Check back here for more as we get it...

10:30am

THE turnout for the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner election was a pitiful 19.58%.

The turnout was lowest in Sedgemoor, where only 12,830 (14.3%) of the 89,427 people eligible to vote did so.

In Taunton Deane, 18.1% voted while the turnout was just 16.9% in West Somerset.

19.2% of people voted in South Somerset.

Counting of the votes will start around midday.

7:50pm

A LIVE blog on PCC election results will appear here from tomorrow (November 16) morning.

4:52pm

Steph Clapham said: “I knew about the election but I don’t think it’s been advertised or documented enough to provide enough information to be able to make a decision.”

4:51pm

Inoka Damayanthi said: “I didn’t really know much about it, or the kinds of things these people would be making decision on.”

4:50pm

Rosemary Lock said: “I don’t think there was enough information out there for me to make a decision on who to vote for, so I didn’t vote.”

4:49pm

We asked some of our readers if they voted in today’s elections - none of them had voted and all of them felt there was not enough information provided to the public.

Ricky Plowright said: “I think there should be a live TV debate like there is in the elections for Prime Minister, so you get a better sense of what each person is like and their views.

“Instead we have short TV and radio adverts and I don’t think they provide enough information about who we’re voting for.”

4:35pm

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10:47am

JOHN Savage is the chief executive of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and Initiative and the chairman of University Hospitals Bristol.

He came second in the Labour candidate selection process but became the candidate when Bob Ashford stepped down due to a childhood criminal conviction.

Dr Savage, who has also had the role of High Sheriff of Bristol, says as PCC he would act as a go-between for the public, police and Government.

He said: “I fully understand the need for a new approach to resource allocation in these testing economic times but the Government is making the wrong choices on crime, taking front-line police off the streets, weakening powers to deal with anti-social behaviour and opening the door to the privatisation of core services.

“I will fight the impact of these reckless changes.”

He added: “I believe the great point about this is that it creates a new interface for people to get their voices, their thoughts and their worries into the police service.”

10:46am

SOMERSET-born Pete Levy, a LibDem councillor since May 2010, served with Wiltshire Constabulary before joining the Royal Military Police.

He said: “I will commit to the PCC’s office being inclusive, honest, representative, fair-minded and accountable.

“Politicisation of policing is not acceptable or fair to the integrity of the police or public.

“I want a robust and honest collaboration between PCC’s office and all local authorities, regardless of political affiliation.

“It is important that people feel they have someone to stand up for them, who not only has experience of working with the police but is on their side.

“I will make sure we maintain effective front line services and fight further cuts to our police.

“It is vital that people use their vote on November 15 as this person will be responsible for the level of police and therefore safety of you and your family.

“It’s an important job and needs someone with experience and knowledge to do it.

“I believe I have all the skills and passion to do this job and will speak up for local communities across Somerset.”

10:44am

FORMER leader of Somerset County Council, Ken Maddock, is standing for the Conservatives in the elections.

Ken led the authority from 2008 until stepping down earlier this year to contest the Crime Commissioner role.

He said: “My approach is about getting tough and getting serious.

“I will be tough on the small minority of young people who blight the lives of local people and serious about giving every young person the best possible start in life by expanding Police Cadets and apprenticeships to promote skills.”

Ken has also pledged to improve community safety, increase detection rates, cut costs in front-line policing and ensure police priorities match community needs.

He said: “What needed to be done at Somerset County Council was to stretch every pound and make it go further, and in my book that needs to be done in the police.

“The business is ripe for reform – that’s not to say that they haven’t been doing a terrific job in many respects because they have – but we can all learn.

“I regard this as a great opportunity to take the improvements made in recent years in tackling crime and community safety to the next level, and to do so in a more transparent and accountable way.

“I believe I bring experience, support and a willingness to listen which this will need.”

10:42am

SUE Mountstevens (Independent) says she will “keep politics out of policing”.

For many years she was a director of Mountstevens Bakeries, magistrate, independent member on the Avon and Somerset Police Authority and vice-chairman of the Independent Monitoring Board at Bristol Prison.

She said: “The Commissioner’s role will be to deliver an effective police force, supporting Avon and Somerset Constabulary while holding the force to account and acting as the voice of the 1.6 million people in the area, as well as working in partnership with local and national agencies. Politics should be kept out of policing and I’ll protect both residents and police from political interference.

“I was born here, educated here, work here and care about local people. I know how to run a large and complex business and understand the criminal justice system.”

Her priorities are tackling anti-social behaviour, violence against women and girls, and burglary, as well as focusing on victims.

“The link is the home – how safe people feel in their home and in their communities. If people aren’t safe in their home or don’t feel safe they cannot live a normal life.

“I’ll put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system. I’ll ensure their voice is heard and action is taken.”

10:27am

The candidates in the election are Sue Mountstevens (Independent); Dr John Savage (Labour); Ken Maddock (Conservative); and Pete Levy (LibDem).

The winning candidate will oversee the police on behalf of people living in the area, holding the constabulary and the Chief Constable to account.

They will replace the existing Avon and Somerset Police Authority of 17 councillors and independent members of the public, and will set policing priorities and decide how your council tax is spent on crime and policing issues.

They will be elected for four years, and be expected to publish a police and crime plan setting out objectives for Avon and Somerset.

There are fears that the election could have the lowest turnout ever for a poll in this country.