Matthew Barber new Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner

Matthew Barber has been elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley.
Matthew Barber has been elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley.

Matthew Barber has been elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley.

Counting was held at the Spiceball Leisure Centre in Banbury, where volunteers counted thousands of ballot papers.

Counting took place at the Spiceball Leisure Centre in Banbury.

The candidates in the running were: Matthew David Barber (The Conservative Party Candidate), Laetisia Carter (Labour and Co-operative Party), John Orrell Howson (Liberal Democrats) and Alan Gordon Robinson (Independent).

Police and Crime Commissioners are elected to hold the police to account and have responsibility for their police force's finance, and can appoint or dismiss the Chief Constable.

Once elected, each PCC must produce a Police and Crime Plan, which sets about their force's strategic direction.

The Conservative received a total of 313,148 votes while his nearest challenger, Labour's Laetisia Carter, received 233,446.

He was elected in a second preference poll after no candidates received more than 50% of the first votes.

Speaking to ITV News Meridian, he said he wants to begin is term as PCC by fighting serious organised crime, Dealing with cyber crime and fraud and tackling illegal encampments.

Matthew Barber, Con