LATEST 6PM: Independent candidate and former TV news presenter Alan Hardwick has been elected as Lincolnshire’s first Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
After a tense five-hour wait for the result, Mr Hardwick was declared the winner over rival candidates David Bowles (Independent), Richard Davies (Conservative) and Paul Gleeson.
Mr Hardwick (63), who is married with three daughters, takes up the £65,000 a year post on Thursday after polling 39,221 votes, more than 4,000 votes clear of Mr Bowles in second place.
The other two candidates were eliminated after an initial count and Mr Hardwick was confirmed the winner at Lincoln Drill Hall this evening after second preference votes were counted.
The new PCC previously worked for Lincolnshire Police Authority for the past four years but his new role will include hiring and firing the chief constable, delivering community safety and reducing crime across the county.
RESULT: Alan Hardwick (Independent) - 39,221; David Bowles (Independent) - 35,086: Richard Davies (Conservative) - 19,872; Paul Gleeson (Labour) -n 10,247.
EARLIER 12 Noon: Turnout was predictably low in South Holland for the first Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) election in Lincolnshire, with just over one in ten people bothering to vote.
About 12.3 per cent of those registered went to polling stations in the area yesterday to choose one of four candidates to take on the role of directing policing in the county.
David Bowles (Independent), Richard Davies (Conservative), Paul Gleeson (Labour) and Alan Hardwick (Independent) are the candidates standing in the election, with the winner to be announced in Lincoln some time this afternoon.
One voter from Weston, Tony Britton, contacted the Lincolnshire Free Press by Twitter to confirm he was only the 13th person to vote at the village hall by 11.30am.
Lincolnshire is among 41 police areas in England and Wales to vote for a PCC and election experts are warning that it will be the worst voter turnout ever for a poll.