Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner candidates

Mr Surl is the current PCC and has held the post since it was created in 2012

Residents across Gloucestershire Police's area will have the chance to vote for a new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), in May.

The PCC elections are held every four years and the position has been held by retired police officer Martin Surl since 2012.

Ballots will be held on the same day as the local council elections so that voters can cast their ballots at the same time.

The candidates for the new Gloucestershire PCC are:

• Martin Surl - (Independent). Mr Surl is the current PCC and has held the post since it was created in 2012. He was a serving police officer for more than 30 years, rising to the rank of Supt.

• Chris Nelson - (Cons). He is a retired Army officer with almost 40 years' public service, including operational work with police, and years as a borough councillor and parish council chairman.

• Simon O'Rourke - (Labour). He has been the chairman of a local branch of Victim Support for more than five years and has worked closely with the victims of crime during that period.

• Christopher Coleman - (Liberal Democrats). A Cheltenham Borough councillor who also works as a solicitor advocate for Reeds Solicitors specialising in legal aid work, and represents vulnerable people in police stations, courts and prisons across the country.

• Adrian Stratton - (Independent). A former police officer who retired from Gloucestershire Constabulary in 2017. He spent 30 years in policing and won an award for helping save the force £300,000.

Here is a guide to what PCCs do in their official capacity.