KEVIN Hurley has been elected as Surrey's first ever Police and Crime Commissioner, despite being backed by just four per cent of the county's voting public.

Reflecting the low turnout nationwide, just 15.7 per cent of Surrey's 856,968 eligible electorate cast their vote on November 15 - with many more spoiling their ballot papers in protest against the politicisation of the police.

Mr Hurley beat Conservative candidate Julie Iles' in the second round of voting, based on electors' second preference votes, ironically after he was rejected by the Tories and forced to run as an independent.

For full story, see this week's Farnham Herald.