Conservative Ben Adams romps home in Staffordshire PFCC poll

Mr Adams won 55.7 per cent of the vote to win on first preference ballots. Labour candidate Tony Kearon came second with 27.5 per cent of the vote.

The Conservative's total of 136,024 votes was more than double the amount received by Labour.

It marked a continuation of the Conservative Party's dominance at the ballot box on a day when Boris Johnson's party also made huge gains across the Black Country and won the Hartlepool by-election.

Independent candidate Deneice Florence-Jukes was third with 7.8 per cent, followed by Lib Dem Richard Whelan (4.4 per cent) and Reform UK's Michael Riley (2.3 per cent).

Mr Adams is the second Conservative to hold the £75,000-a-year PFCC post. He has succeeded Matthew Ellis, who retired ahead of the election.

He has spent 15 years in politics as a district and county councillor in Lichfield and Tamworth and was twice a Conservative parliamentary candidate, in Stoke North and Kidsgrove.

Mr Adams said: "I can’t wait to get started and ensure that local people’s concerns and priorities are heard and acted upon. I know that local taxpayers want their hard-earned money used to support the frontline police and fire and rescue effort, and that this is felt directly by communities.

"I will be looking for more opportunities to share resources between police and fire, building on recent successes at Hanley and Tamworth, where the two services now work well and efficiently alongside each other.

"I’d like to thank everyone who has helped and supported me and look forward to delivering on the trust that has been placed in me."

Turnout statistics:

• Cannock Chase – 29.64%

• East Staffordshire – 31.01%

• Lichfield – 33.13%

• Newcastle – 30.48%

• South Staffs – 31.61%

• Stafford – 34.12%

• Staffordshire Moorlands – 31.02%

• Stoke-on-Trent – 18.70%

• Tamworth – 30.91%

• Overall – 28.90%