Police and crime commissioner election 2016: Fergus Wilson loses legal fight

Fergus Wilson said his PCC campaign had reached "the end of the line"

A millionaire property magnate whose nomination to become Kent's next police and crime commissioner (PCC) was rejected has lost a legal fight against the decision.

Fergus Wilson had been told his nomination was invalid because his papers were posted, not hand-delivered.

Several voters nominating him had also not included their electoral numbers.

He applied for a judicial review but Mr Justice Cranston refused permission at London's High Court.

After the hearing, Mr Wilson, of Boughton Monchelsea, said he was disappointed and being PCC was a job he felt he could have done well, but "life must go on".

'End of the line'

Mr Wilson, who planned to stand as an independent, said he was particularly concerned by two domestic abuse cases involving Kent Police and would have used his £85,000 salary to fund a rapid-response team of four officers.

The two cases he referred to were Thursday's £80,000 data breach fine against Kent Police, and a recent IPCC report into the murder of Anne-Marie Birch which criticised the force.

He said: "This is the end of the line. There's nothing more to do. I have to draw a line in the sand but life goes on and that's it."

Dover Council, whose chief executive Nadeem Aziz is the police area returning officer for Kent, issued a statement which said: "We can confirm that Mr Justice Cranston has today refused permission for Mr Wilson to apply for judicial review in the High Court.

"The election will now proceed with the six candidates validly-nominated appearing on the ballot paper."

The six candidates standing for the post of police and crime commissioner in Kent are:

• Henry Bolton - UKIP

• David Sandru Naghi - Liberal Democrat

• Tristan John Osborne - Labour

• Gurvinder Singh Sandher - Independent

• Matthew Richard Scott - Conservative

• Steve Uncles - English Democrats