Elections 2021: Conservative David Sidwick is new Dorset PCC

David Sidwick (right) is the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset

A new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has been elected for Dorset.

David Sidwick, the conservative candidate, was elected with a total of 70,353 votes. Independent candidate Dan Hardy came in second place with 43,427 votes.

Mr Sidwick will take the place of Martyn Underhill who served in the role for nine years as an independent and is standing down.

He pledged to make Dorset the "safest county".

Mr Sidwick will take up his new role on Thursday.

PCCs are elected to oversee the work of their local police force.

Dorset Police Chief Constable James Vaughan said: "I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to David Sidwick. My colleagues and I stand ready to support him in any way we can.

"We look forward to a productive relationship with our new PCC and will be ready to assist them in the development and delivery of a new police and crime plan."

Patrick Canavan from the Labour and Co-operative Party, Mark Robson from the Liberal Democrats, and Claire Seymour from the Green Party were eliminated after the first round of voting.

PCCs are elected using the supplementary vote system, with people making a first and second choice.

If no candidate gets more than 50% of the first-choice votes, all except the top two candidates are eliminated.

At that stage the second votes of those residents whose first choice has been eliminated are counted.

The turnout was 25.52%.