Four candidates will contest next month’s Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections.

Voters in the North-East are going to the polls on May 6 and, as well choosing local councillors, will have the chance to elect a PCC for the fourth time.

The Northumbria post, first established in 2012, has been held by Labour’s Kim McGuinness since 2019, when she won a by-election following the resignation of Dame Vera Baird.

Ms McGuinness, a former Newcastle councillor, has three opponents as she seeks to retain her post – Conservative Duncan Crute, the Lib Dems’ Peter Maughan, and independent Julian Kilburn.

The vote had been due to be held in May 2020, but was postponed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Northumberland councillor Georgina Hill, who came second in the 2019 by-election as an independent candidate, announced last week that she would not be running for PCC again this time as she is also seeking re-election in her Berwick East ward.

The purpose of the PCC role is to hold police forces to account and ensure they are running effectively, with direct responsibility for running the force remaining with the chief constable.