Katie Bourne announced as Sussex’s first Police and Crime Commissioner

The Conservative candidate was named as the county’s new tsar responsible for holding Sussex Police to account.

According to government information, the commissioner will do this by: engaging with the public and victims of crime to help set police and crime plans; ensuring the police force budget is spent where it matters most; appointing, and where necessary dismissing, the chief constable.

In the first count, Ms Bourne received 59,635 votes (32 per cent) of the vote.

Godfrey Daniel, from the Labour Party, gained 40,765 votes, or 22 per cent, while independent candidate Ian Chisnall had 38,930 votes, or 21 per cent.

Following behind was Tony Armstrong, of the UK Independence Party, with 29,327 votes (15 per cent) and then David Rogers, Liberal Democrat, who had 20,579 votes (11 per cent).

As no candidate received more than 50 per cent of the first choice votes, the second choice votes for Katy Bourne and Godfrey Daniel were then counted during the afternoon.

The voter turnout across Sussex as a whole was 15.82 per cent - in Arun, 14.84 per cent with 16,829 votes cast out of a possible 113,392.