Conservative Donna Jones elected Hampshire and Isle of Wight PCC

Donna Jones said she was committed to increasing police officer numbers

Donna Jones has been elected as the new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The Conservative candidate received 49.8% of the first preference votes.

She was elected on second preference votes after no candidates received more than 50% of first preference ballots.

Ms Jones received 312,993 votes while her nearest challenger Labour's Tony Bunday picked up 145,751. Lib Dem Richard Murphy and Independent Steve James-Bailey were earlier eliminated.

The turnout was 36.19%, compared with 27.96% in 2016.

'Helping victims'

Ms Jones, a magistrate in Hampshire for 15 years, claimed to be the youngest member of the judiciary in England and Wales when she was appointed in 2005.

She is also the only woman to have served as leader of Portsmouth City Council.

In a statement after being elected, Ms Jones said: "I am committed to increasing the number of police on our streets and increasing police visibility in order to reduce crime.

"I will be looking to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour and knife crime and helping victims get the justice and support they deserve."

PCCs, first introduced in 2012, are elected representatives who work to ensure the 41 police forces in England and Wales are running effectively.

Their responsibilities include setting out force budgets, holding chief constables to account and providing a link between communities and police.