David Lloyd re-elected as Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner

Mr Lloyd won the most votes across the county after voters went to the polls on May 6.

The Conservative candidate secured nearly 170,000 votes after the count was completed at the Spotlight Theatre in Hoddesdon on Monday afternoon.

Mr Lloyd was challenged for the role by the Liberal Democrats' Sam North and Labour's Philip Ross.

Under the supplementary voting system, voters were asked to indicate both a first and second preference from the three candidates.

As no candidate received more than 50 per cent of the first preference votes, Mr Lloyd and Mr North progressed to the second round, as they had accrued the most first preference votes.

Mr Lloyd, who was first elected as police and crime commissioner in 2012, won 155,114 first preference votes and 12,761 second preference votes, taking his overall tally to 167,875.

Mr North won 87,524 first preference votes and 48,172 second preference votes, giving him a total of 135,696.

Mr Ross picked up 76,941 first preference votes.

David Lloyd, who will extend his term at Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner for another four years

In Watford, the vote was split more than in any of Hertfordshire's nine other districts, with all three candidates receiving between 7,800 and 8,400 first preference votes - Mr North polled first in Watford, less than 100 votes ahead of Mr Lloyd.

In Three Rivers and Hertsmere, Mr Lloyd emerged as a clearer winner - more so in Hertsmere - while in St Albans district, the Lib Dems came on top with around 21,700 first preference votes, compared with around 19,500 for the Tory candidate.

The turnout for this election across Hertfordshire was 37.4 per cent. This compares with 29 per cent at the last election in 2016.

Hertfordshire police officers graduating during the pandemic

The police and crime commissioner is responsible for the way policing is delivered in the county.

They decide how funding related to policing and crime reduction is allocated and set a Police and Crime Plan which sets the strategic direction and objectives of the force. They also bring together community safety and criminal justice partners to ensure local priorities are joined up.

Mr Lloyd said last year that Hertfordshire is on course for its biggest ever police force - more than 2,300 officers - with a council tax increase, introduced in April, helping to pay for the rise in officers.