Anna Smith has been selected as Labour’s Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

She is the serving deputy mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and she was acting mayor last year. She is also a local councillor and a former leader of Cambridge City Council.

Anna is also a former teacher and senior leader in secondary schools and points to her "strong track record in leadership that is already delivering for communities across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.

She says she is looking forward to setting out her priorities for policing in Cambridgeshire over the coming months, which will include:

· Championing neighbourhood policing to make our streets safer,

· Working tirelessly to improve crime prevention, protecting communities and reducing offending,

· Fighting for the resources our police force desperately needs,

· Putting the public first - delivering what matters to residents.

Speaking after her selection, she said: “Despite their rhetoric, the Conservatives are soft on crime and soft on crime prevention. Across our country they’ve lost control of antisocial behaviour, and knife crime has gone up 70 per cent since 2015.

“I am determined to work with the police and the public to tackle head on the issues we all face, from antisocial behaviour to dangerous driving, from violence against women and girls to drug dealing, knife crime and gangs.

“I spent 18 years working in the public sector in our local community as a teacher and senior leader in schools. I’ve had nearly 10 years as an elected representative, as councillor, council leader, acting mayor and deputy mayor. I have a track record of leadership and of getting things done.

“I know first-hand from my work right across our communities just what dedicated public servants our police teams are.

Both they and the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, have been let down by the Conservative Government. Our region needs a Police and Crime Commissioner who will both hold the police to account and fight hard for the resources the police need to do their job.