LABOUR has selected its South West Surrey 2015 parliamentary candidate Howard Kaye to stand as the new Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in the May elections.

Current Independent Surrey PCC Kevin Hurley also faces competition from Tory candidate David Munro, Lib Dem candidate Paul Kennedy and UKIP candidate Julia Searle, to continue in the role.

“I am honoured to have been selected,” Mr Kaye told The Herald. “I am originally from Leeds but I have lived in Farnham for the past 12 years, I am 53 and currently I am employed as a train driver based at Kings Cross, London.

“Coming from a different background to the professional police and political candidates, I will bring real-life experience, knowledge and perspective to the role of Surrey PCC.

“My immediate priorities if I get elected are to ensure accountability, leadership and stability within the Surrey police chain of command. I therefore commit that my first action on being elected would be to appoint a permanent Surrey Chief Constable with the necessary skill sets.

“I will work to formulate proposals to protect Surrey residents from the emerging threat of internet crime. I will ensure that the review into policing, recommended by The Independent Police Complaints Commission, into the failings by Surrey Police of an online child grooming case are implemented.

“To get the best policing for the residents of Surrey requires adequate funding. I will fight any reduction in budgets that affect the policing of Surrey. I will halt the continual downgrading of our police service within Surrey. The closures of police stations and centralisation of policing resources do not benefit the vast majority of Surrey residents.

“The presence of uniformed officers within our local communities needs reinvigorating. I will ensure that privatisation of the policing services within Surrey is not on the agenda.”