West Yorkshire PCC election: Mark Burns-Williamson wins

Mr Burns-Williamson has pledged to fight against police budget cuts

Labour's Mark Burns-Williamson has been elected as West Yorkshire's first police and crime commissioner (PCC).

He beat Independent candidate Cedric Christie after second preference votes were counted.

Turnout in West Yorkshire was just 13.3% with more than 8,000 spoilt ballots.

Mr Burns-Williamson, who has been a member of the county's police authority for 13 years, will set priorities for the force and oversee its budget.

The West Yorkshire force serves about 2.2 million people and has a budget of £411m.

Mr Burns-Williamson said he felt humbled to have received more than 100,000 votes.

He was critical of the government over how the elections had been held which had, in his view, resulted in a low turnout

"It is now up to me and the other 40 police and crime commissioners elected today to establish themselves and legitimise this post by listening to everyone who relies on their local police force," he said.

Last year the force announced it was cutting nearly 2,000 members of staff by 2012 in a move to save £27m from the budget following government spending cuts.

Mr Burns-Williamson said he would continue to fight against cuts to police budgets in West Yorkshire and the rest of the region.

He said: "The public of West Yorkshire have declared they have no support of this irresponsible slashing of the police service."

Turnout does not include spoiled ballots