INDEPENDENT candidate Anne Barnes was elected Kent's first Police and Crime Commissioner last week.

The former chairwoman of Kent Police Authority was forced into a run-off with Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay, but came out on top with 65.5 per cent of the vote after second preferences were counted.

Fellow independent Dai Liyanage, Labour’s Harriet Yeo, UKIP candidate Piers Wauchope and English Democrat Steve Uncles were all eliminated in the first round under the supplementary vote system.

After her win on Friday (November 16), Ms Barnes took to Twitter to thank her supporters.

She said: "I am now your new Kent Police and Crime Commissioner thanks to your fantastic support.

"I am truly humbled and honoured."

The former chairwoman of the National Association of Police Authorities has pledged to resist further funding cuts, keep crime victims better informed on the progress of investigations and create local police boards.

She was elected to the £85,000-a-year post on a turnout of only 16 per cent of eligible voters in Kent, beating the national average by one per cent.

Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay was beaten into second place with 34.5 per cent of the vote.

He said on Twitter: "Thank you all in Kent for the support and hard work throughout an incredibly long and tough campaign.

"Congratulations to the winner Ann Barnes."

Mr Mackinlay was one of a number of major party candidates across the country to miss out, including former Labour cabinet minister John Prescott in Humberside and Conservative Michael Mates in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Of the 41 PCC posts up for grabs across the country, 16 went to Conservatives, 13 to Labour and 12 to independents.

Elected commissioners replace police authorities with powers to set force priorities, oversee budgets and hire and fire chief constables.

Final result

Ann Barnes, Independent, 114,137 (65.5 per cent)

Craig Mackinlay, Conservative, 60,248 (34.5 per cent)

First round (first preferences)

Ann Barnes, Independent, 95,901 (46.8 per cent)

Craig Mackinlay, Conservative, 51,671 (25.2 per cent)

Harriet Yeo, Labour, 23,005 (11.2 per cent)

Piers Wauchope, UKIP, 15,885 (7.8 per cent)

Steve Uncles, English Democrats, 10,789 (5.3 per cent)

Dai Liyanage, Independent, 7,666 (3.7 per cent)

Second round (second preferences)

Ann Barnes, Independent, 18,236

Craig Mackinlay, Conservative, 8,577

Turnout

204,917 (16 per cent)