Hours left to vote for Thames Valley's first PCC

Voters are turning out at polling stations across the area today to decide who they would like to be the first Thames Valley police and crime commissioner (PCC).

Polling stations across Maidenhead, Tywford, Burnham , Windsor and Slough opened at 7am with more than 105,000 Royal Borough residents eligible to vote.

The PCC is responsible for holding the police force to account and to make sure they deliver the kind of policing you want to see.

Other duties will include:

• Engaging with the public and victims of crime to help set police and crime plans.
• Ensuring the police force budget is spent where it matters most.
• Appointing, and where necessary dismissing, the chief constable.

Polling stations will close at 10pm tonight.

The six candidates contesting the election to become the Thames Valley PCC are:

• Patience Tayo Awe (Ind)
• Barry Cooper (UKIP)
• Geoff Howard (Ind)
• John Orrell Howson (Lib Dem)
• Anthony Stansfeld (Con)
• Tim Starkey (Lab)

The count for the Royal Borough will be held in Maidenhead Town Hall tomorrow and the total votes will be fed to the PCC election HQ in Aylesbury.

Counting of postal votes has already started. The result should be known later today.

Will you be voting? Join the debate on Twitter @MaidenheadAds