Darryl Preston re-elected as Cambridgeshire PCC

Darryl Preston, the Police and Crime Commissioner Image source, Emma Howgego/BBC
Image caption,

Darryl Preston won a second term as police and crime commissioner with 61,880 votes

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Darryl Preston has been re-elected as the Conservative police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The retired police officer won a second consecutive term with 61,880 votes (38%), followed closely by Labour's Anna Smith with 58,304 (36%).

Edna Murphy of the Liberal Democrats received 41,984 votes (26%) on a turnout of 25.6%.

Mr Preston said he was "grateful to people for putting their trust in me," and aimed to work with the government to make more funding available for local policing.

The PCC's primary function is to appoint a chief constable for Cambridgeshire Constabulary and hold them to account for running the force.

Their budget includes a contribution from an annual council tax precept, which Mr Preston increased by £12.96 earlier this year.

In Peterborough, Mr Preston picked up 17,360 votes to Ms Smith’s 16,884 and Ms Murphy’s 8,793.

This means he won more comfortably in the city - with 40% of the vote - than elsewhere.

But the Conservative Party suffered heavy losses at Peterborough City Council’s elections, with their group halving in size from 22 councillors to just 11.

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