North Yorks PFCC: Zoe Metcalfe to stay in council roles

Zoe Metcalfe said she would begin to stand down from her council duties, but not resign

The new Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire will remain in her council roles until the next election in May, she has said.

Conservative Zoe Metcalfe said she would not quit North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, removing the need for a by-election.

Instead, she said she would start to stand down from her duties, arranging substitutes where necessary.

Mrs Metcalfe won the by-election last month with 41,760 of the votes.

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The previous commissioner, Conservative Philip Allott, resigned following criticism over comments he made after the murder of Sarah Everard.

The comments led to public complaints and a vote of no confidence by the county's crime panel.

A spokesperson for Mrs Metcalfe's office said: "Commissioner Metcalfe intends to devote herself full time to the role of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

"She is standing down from - or, as far as possible, arranging substitutes for - her other roles and activities, including any committee and sub-committee responsibilities connected with her roles as an elected member of Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

"As she has already made clear, commissioner Metcalfe will be relinquishing her council seats at the next election in 2022 - avoiding the need for by-elections in the meantime."

Mrs Metcalfe is the third Conservative to take on the £74,000-a-year role since it was created in 2012, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

She finished ahead of Labour's Emma Scott-Spivey who got a total of 26,895 votes.

The commissioner held her first public accountability meeting on Tuesday.