CORNISH MPs have called for the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Devon and Cornwall to resign after the Government announced the role will be scrapped from 2028.

Lib Dem MPs Ben Maguire, North Cornwall, and Andrew George, St Ives, say Alison Hernandez should step down “with immediate effect” rather than "waste millions more in taxpayer funds" over the next three years as a “lame duck” commissioner

It comes after the Home Office announced that the roles of all Police and Crime Commissioners will be abolished in 2028, when the next elections were due to take place. Their responsibilities will instead be handed to elected Mayors or new 'Policing and Crime Boards' if the region doesn't have a mayor.

Mr Maguire said: "It is great news that the Government has finally listened and decided to scrap the pointless Police and Crime Commissioners ,a failed Tory experiment that has cost council tax payers hundreds of millions of pounds.

"Almost immediately after my election and many times since I have stood up in the House of Commons and called for this pointless role to be scrapped. This huge waste of taxpayer money would be so much better spent on bolstering frontline policing so we can tackle rural crime and antisocial behaviour.

"This is a huge victory for common sense and for the Liberal Democrat campaign. Now, Devon & Cornwall's PCC Alison Hernandez should do the decent thing and resign immediately, rather than cling on as a lame duck, waste millions more of taxpayer money, and potentially undermine the leadership of the police here in Cornwall."

Mr George added:"Police and Crime Commissioners have always been a pointless waste of space and money.

“And ours is the most pointless and counterproductive of the lot. From ill-judged encouragement of vigilantes to tastelessly and ineptly seeking to make public capital from a private tragedy, it's been a catalogue of embarrassment. It is far better to scrap them and spend the money on more resources for our over-stretched frontline police. The sooner she goes, the sooner our police can be given the support they deserve."

The Policing Minister, Sarah Jones MP, stated the current system of police oversight has failed.

She said: “Whilst the role of Police Crime Commissioners has evolved over time to include responsibility for commissioning services for victims, driving local partnerships and in some areas, responsibilities for firefighters, the model has failed to live up to expectations. It has not delivered what it was set up to achieve.

“The reality is that the PCC model has weakened local police accountability and has had perverse impacts on the recruitment of chief constables. They have failed to inspire confidence in local people, in stark contrast to the mayoral model, which has clearly been ultimately more successful.”

Newquay and St Austell MP Noah Law, whose constituency includes the Sticker investigation site, said: “This will end a long period of chaos and scandal surrounding Hernandez’s work as the top political voice within the police force, including questions over her handling of the suspensions of multiple Chief Constables in recent years, and recent mistakes in public comments over the ongoing murder investigation at Sticker, near St Austell.

“The public have told us loud and clear, as they have done with the idea of a Mayor for Cornwall: they want fewer politicians, not more. I am glad our Government is delivering on that and ensuring that good council leaders and MPs can get on with their jobs, and that proper, apolitical roles exist in the Police service.”

Perran Moon, the MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, added: “I’ve met several retired Police officers in Camborne, Redruth & Hayle who have been calling for this change for years. Sadly, because existing terms will run to their end, Devon & Cornwall Police will still have a Police Crime Commissioner until 2028.

“But I have far more faith that a specialist Policing & Crime board, made up of relevant skillsets, will be able to focus on the key areas of crime and policing in Cornwall, than the current structure. Until then, we hope that the current PCC will deliver on her commitment to focus on areas like Camborne.”