'Sex charges' councillor Jason Zadrozny wants to be PCC

Jason Zadrozny announced his intention to run for police and crime commissioner outside Mansfield Magistrates Court

A former parliamentary candidate charged with child sex offences has announced his intention to run for police and crime commissioner.

Jason Zadrozny, who is also a district and county councillor, made the announcement after denying the alleged sex offences in court.

The 10 charges range from rape to indecent assault and are alleged to have happened between 2003 and 2006.

Mr Zadrozny said the allegations were a "politically-motivated attack".

"They're absolutely the work of fantasy and that will be borne out," he said.

"I'm looking forward to my day in crown court.

"I don't want this to be dropped, I want to prove that I'm innocent, not that there's not enough evidence, and that I've had my life ruined and plenty of people's careers ruined by Nottinghamshire Police following such spurious allegations."

Jason Zadrozny said the allegations were a "politically-motivated attack"

Mr Zadrozny, 35, of Sutton Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, became the youngest council leader in England in 2007.

He is currently an independent councillor on Ashfield District and Nottinghamshire County councils.

He stood for the Liberal Democrats in Ashfield in the 2010 general election, and was selected to fight the same seat in 2015.

However, the party suspended him after his arrest over the child sex allegations.

The charges in full:

• Three counts of rape of a male under the age of 16 and four counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16 between 2 September 2003 and 30 April 2004

• Three counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a boy aged 13 to 15 between 1 May 2004 and 30 September 2006

He said he wants to run for police and crime commissioner because "somebody needs to clean up Nottinghamshire Police".

Nottinghamshire's current police and crime commissioner is Paddy Tipping, a former Labour MP.

The police force said it would not be appropriate to comment at this stage.

Mr Zadrozny's lawyer told Mansfield Magistrates Court his client "vehemently denies the allegations".

District Judge Jonathan Taaffe granted Mr Zadrozny bail and he will next appear at Nottingham Crown Court on 27 April.

Nottinghamshire County Council said that due to changes to the Localism Act 2011, it no longer had the power to suspended councillors.

Therefore Mr Zadrozny will not be disqualified from his role unless he is later found guilty and sentenced to a jail term of three months or more, or given a suspended sentence.