The next election for the West Mercia Police area will take place in May 2016.

So far two candidates have come forward to announce their intention of standing in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections scheduled for Thursday, May 5th 2016.

These are Barrie Sheldon, West Mercia Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner who will be standing as an Independent candidate and John Campion, a Conservative candidate.

Mr Sheldon believes that it is important to keep party politics away from policing and ihe s standing to give the people of West Mercia the option to vote for a true independent candidate that has no allegiance to any political party.

Mr Sheldon has served the people of West Mercia for over three years and he said:?“I have a proven track record in the role of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner. I have been instrumental in protecting and strengthening the front line of policing, improving victim services, strengthening policing partnerships, protecting and strengthening neighbourhood policing, and leading significant change through transformation of policing services.

During this period the challenge of meeting severe financial cuts has been met and the force is in an excellent financial position due to prudent and careful management.”

John Campion has recently met with Herefordshire MPs Bill Wiggin and Jesse Norman to discuss local crime issues in the County.

“The message from Bill and Jesse was clear that our communities expect their local police to be visible and accessible, through neighbourhood policing and local police counters. The area may be fairly low in crime, but rural crime, such as antisocial behaviour, theft from farms and burglary are issues that still need prioritising.

“If elected as West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner I pledge that I will ensure that police front counters are still available for our local communities, working with our other public sector partners to deliver joined up and convenient access for the community to public services. I will also ensure that people’s views and concerns influence the way our police service deploy their resources, making sure that communities like Herefordshire receive their fair share of resources.”