David Moreland: Norfolk PCC candidate to stand amid migrant claim row

David Moreland is standing as an independent candidate for Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner

A Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) candidate criticised for false claims about migrants and comments about women has said he would not withdraw.

Independent David Moreland was answering a question on women's safety after the death of Sarah Everard.

The Eastern Daily Press reported he said: "The vast majority of these sexual attacks on women across the country are carried out by migrants."

In the wake of criticism, he maintained he "absolutely" would still stand.

The death of Ms Everard, after she went missing while walking home in London on 3 March, has focused national attention on the issue of women's safety.

False migrant claims

Mr Moreland made the comments after being asked what action he would like to see in Norfolk to help protect women, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The former Metropolitan Police officer said: "The vast majority of these sexual attacks on women across the country are carried out by migrants, many of them are illegal - African or ethnic minority people."

He added: "It's not just black people, obviously they are involved in it.

"We've got white people as well, but basically, it is not British. The vast majority [of attackers] are not British, they are migrants that are coming to this country."

Ministry of Justice data from 2017 contradicts Mr Moreland's claim, showing the majority of people convicted for rape and sexual assault were white.

The election for Norfolk's PCC will take place on 6 May

Mr Moreland also made comments about the renewed focus on women's experiences of everyday harassment, many of which have been shared online.

He said: "In in the old days, blokes used to work on building sites and they would whistle down to a girl walking past, and most of the girls would say 'Oh, thank you, thank you for thinking I'm good looking,' but nowadays it's getting very, very dangerous out there."

Speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk on Thursday, Mr Moreland said he had been speaking about "attacks across the UK, not sexual", adding: "The sheer number of migrants, illegal migrants in this country, is being hidden from the British people."

• The candidates standing to be Norfolk's PCC

He said believed that it was "government policy to hide the truth" about the perpetrators of crime.

Mr Moreland stated that if elected PCC his policies would include "[bringing] back into the police our PCSOs, our special constables... [and] we should be recruiting our military veterans into the police".

'Unfit for role'

Giles Orpen-Smellie, the Conservative candidate for PCC, said Mr Moreland's comments on women and race were "unacceptable", adding he did not believe Mr Moreland understood "the seriousness of these issues and as a result I don't think he should stand for office".

Labour's Michael Rosen said that Mr Moreland's "appalling views make him unfit for the role of PCC" and asked: "How effective would our police be with a PCC who relies on social media and chats with his old mates to decide his policies?"

Green Party candidate Martin Schmierer said he was "shocked" when he read Mr Moreland's comments, adding that "the kind of misinformation that was spouted out is, quite frankly, dangerous and wrong factually".

John Crofts, the candidate for the Liberal Democrats, said "even a basic search of data" would show Mr Moreland's comments were inaccurate, and said: "There is no way that someone who holds such views could possibly represent the police force and work with all sections of the community."

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