CONSERVATIVE Peter McCall is the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria. 

McCall won a total of 41,345 votes over the course of two rounds, securing 32,569 in the first round and 8,776 in the second. 

He beat Labour candidate Reg Watson, who only managed to gain a total of 30,437 votes.

Speaking after the result was announced, Mr McCall said that he was 'honoured' to have been elected to succeed Richard Rhodes. 

"I firmly believe that we must fight crime together as communities," he said. "I pay tribute and my sincere thanks to all those who have supported and helped with my election.

McCall noted the increase in the turnout at the election, stating that he thought that people were now beginning to understand the importance of the PCC role. 

He also thanked Mr Rhodes for the work that he had done since taking on the role in 2012. 

"He leaves a real legacy in functioning CCTV throughout the county," he said. "He will be a hard act to follow."

"There are significant challenges ahead," Mr McCall said. "And I'm happy to take those on on your behalf. My theme will always be team. Working together. We, not they. Listening to you, the public."

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Speaking to the Gazette after the announcement, Mr McCall referenced his military background and how he would be able to utilise it in the role.

"We're all a product of our own experience," he said. "For me it's about leadership, it's about teamwork. That will probably be the flavour of my tenure."

He said that he would be prioritising the recruitment of more specials and to look to establish a better dialogue with young people.

Mr McCall also acknowledged that 'more bobbies on the beat' was a pressing issue for many.

"We have to be realistic about affordability," he said regarding the number of police on the streets. "The reality is that some of the areas of crime that are of concern and are increasing - cyber-crime, child exploitation, domestic abuse - won't necessarily be fixed by more bobbies on the beat. So we have to be quite clever about how we address that."