West Midlands PCC should get his act together - MP

Jack Brereton MP said the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has failed to hold the force to account

An MP has called on the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to "get his act together" after the force was put into special measures.

Jack Brereton, Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, claimed PCC Simon Foster was not holding the police to account properly.

Inspectors were found to have not been managing the risk to the public from sex offenders effectively.

Labour PCC Mr Foster has previously apologised to residents.

Recently, it was announced that at least 30 West Midlands Police stations were to shut.

"The reality is, though, we've got a failing Labour police and crime commissioner who's failed to hold the police to account, who's more focused on closing 30 police stations across the West Midlands," Mr Brereton told BBC Politics Midlands.

"We need the police and crime commissioner actually to get his act together and hold the police to account."

Jess Phillips MP said steps are already being taken by the force

He said the government has brought in 20,000 additional police officers.

But Labour Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips said there were "800 fewer police officers" in the West Midlands than there were in 2010.

She added she was "concerned" but said there were "problems all across the country"

Sher also highlighted that the force that covers Mr Brereton's constituency, Staffordshire Police, was also placed in special measures in 2022.

PCC Simon Foster has apologised to West Midlands residents

She said there has already been work ongoing to make improvements as outlined in the report but an "extra level of scrutiny to make sure that happens is something that campaigners like me would want to see".

Mr Foster had said it is "unacceptable if people are not obtaining access to justice in the West Midlands".

But he denied the current model for policing for the West Midlands was not working after West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said his position should be handed the PCC's powers.