Cleveland PCC Barry Coppinger will not stand for re-election

Barry Coppinger said he had come to the decision after a "weekend of reflection"

Cleveland's police and crime commissioner has announced he will not be seeking re-election in May 2020.

Barry Coppinger had faced calls to quit following the most damning report ever given to a force.

The Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services rated it as inadequate across all areas.

Mr Coppinger described the "current focus" on him as a distraction from "robust plans to drive forward improvements".

He described it as a great honour to serve two terms, and urged everyone to "pull in the same direction" and get behind the force's new chief constable.

'Negative attention'

He said: "Much progress has been made to move Cleveland Police on from unresolved problems dating back four decades.

"When I first came into office I made a decision to shine a light on what had gone on, to resolve those issues, reforming approaches to standards and ethics so the force could move forward.

"That did result in negative attention on the force but it was the right thing to do.

"I expect this work to continue so the chief constable and the next PCC do not have to spend so much time and energy on dealing with historical wrongdoing."