MP accuses Cleveland Police & Crime Commissioner of theft from former employer

An MP has accused the Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner of stealing from a former employer.Using qualified privilege in the House of Commons on Monday evening, addressing a Labour colleague, Labour MP for Middlesbrough Andy McDonald said:

"On the topic of Police and Crime Commissioner elections, is she as staggered as I am to learn that the Conservative Party's PCC for Cleveland, Steve Turner, who was elected earlier this year, was in fact sacked in the early 2000s for systematic theft of merchandise from his then employer, Safeway supermarket, at their Norton store?"He continued: "Does she agree with me that it is totally untenable for someone who was engaged in such criminal behaviour to hold the position of PCC and he must resign from his role with immediate effect?"We have not been able to verify the allegation.In a statement to the PA news agency, Mr Turner said: "This is an appalling use of parliamentary privilege and I will be calling on Mr McDonald to retract his unsubstantiated allegations."