Former police officer to stand for PCC role

Former West Midlands Police officer Tom Byrne has been named as the Conservative Party's candidate

A former police officer has been announced as a candidate for the West Midlands crime commisioner role.

Conservative candidate Tom Byrne said Labour had failed the region for a decade.

Mr Byrne, 29, was recently an aide to West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and had been among the front-runners for Tory selection at the Tamworth by-election in October.

He will face incumbent Labour Police and Crime Commisioner (PCC) Simon Foster, who last month won legal action against a Home Office move to end his role.

Announcing his candidacy, Mr Byrne, who served as a West Midlands officer between 2016 and 2021, said people felt less safe in the region and cited wasteful spending.

He joined the force as a police constable before serving as a temporary inspector between 2020 and 2021.

The Birmingham resident highlighted the fact dozens of police stations were under threat of closure and West Midlands Police had effectively been placed into special measures.

The former officer promised to halt further closures and said he would ensure people were kept safe.

“The West Midlands needs a Conservative PCC to bring an end to Labour failure which has been unfolding here for years," he said.

Current Labour PCC Simon Foster

Moves had been made to merge the West Midlands PCC powers with those of mayor Andy Street.

But a judge said the Home Office had not provided sufficient information when consulting over its plans.

PCCs are tasked with making sure their force is run effectively, approving budgets and holding senior officers to account.

The government is monitoring the West Midlands force after inspectors said it was not carrying out its investigations effectively or managing the risk to the public by sex offenders.

Chief Constable Craig Guildford said bosses had identified issues and put robust plans in place to rectify them.

Nominations for PCC are open until Friday, after which the full list of candidates will be published.