Kent PCC election: Independent Ann Barnes elected

Independent Ann Barnes has been elected as Kent's first police and crime commissioner (PCC).

The former Kent Police Authority chairwoman beat Conservative Craig Mackinlay on second preference votes.

Ms Barnes said the real winners were "the people of Kent who did not want their police force to be politicised".

She will take over responsibility for overseeing Kent Police, appointing and dismissing the chief constable and setting the budget.

Official figures show there was a turnout of 204,917 out of an electorate of 1,281,239, which is 16%.

Steve Uncles (English Democrats), Piers Wauchope (UKIP), Harriet Yeo (Labour), and Dai Liyanage (Ind) were eliminated after votes were counted in the first round.

The Kent count was co-ordinated at Dover Town Hall, but votes were counted at locations in each of the county's 13 local council areas.

Under the supplementary vote system being used in the election, voters could select first and second choices with the candidates' first-preference votes counted initially.

As there was no overall majority, all except the top two candidates were eliminated.

The eliminated candidates' second-preference votes for the remaining two were then added to their running totals, determining the winner.