MATTHEW Grove has been crowned Humberside's first crime and police commissioner – despite people in North East Lincolnshire backing rival Lord John Prescott.
In Lincolnshire, the role has been taken by former TV presenter Alan Hardwick, who proved most popular at the polling stations.
In the Humberside Police area, Conservative candidate Grove triumphed over Lord Prescott, who had received the most ticks in the box from voters living in North East Lincolnshire.
Grove wasn't even in the top three for North East Lincolnshire, with Prescott getting 4,964 first preference votes. UKIP candidate Godfrey Bloom came second with 4,310 votes and Independent Paul Davison third with 3,754.
However, second preference votes – which added to the top two candidates total if the voters first choice was eliminated – from the borough gave Grove an extra 781 votes towards his 2,000 overall majority, as he got 1,756 compared to Prescott's 975.
The East Riding councillor beat the former Labour Deputy Prime Minister by just over 2,000 votes after a full afternoon of counting at The Spa in Bridlington, yesterday.
Lord Prescott won most first preference votes, but failed to secure a majority, so second preference votes were counted and Grove was declared winner.
Grove will now begin his term of office on Thursday, with a salary of £75,000-a-year. He will be responsible for the force's £180-million budget and setting its priorities.
He said: "The real work begins now.
"I have to make sure I fight to drive down crime without taking any more money out of people's pockets
He called Lord Prescott a "gentleman" and said he had beaten him with a "degree of sadness".
"I have enjoyed his company," he said. "It's a shame I had to beat him, but it had to be done."
Lord Prescott wished Mr Grove good luck.
He said: "I'm not going to be churlish, I wish you well."
The former deputy prime minister said he had "reduced a 30,000 Tory majority in the area to 2,000" and used his concession speech to warn against the "privatisation of the police".
Mr Grove referred to defying the odds to win the election.
Bookmaker William Hill had given him odds of 100/1 at one stage in the campaign.
He said: "Thank you William Hill for that windfall, on behalf of some of my campaign members who put a bet on."
As reported, the Humberside commissioner was elected from votes of those living in North East Lincolnshire, Hull, North Lincolnshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Turnout was 19.48 per cent across the entire Humberside policing area, with 16.8 per cent of eligible people in North East Lincolnshire casting their vote.
The low turnout has led one of the borough's long-serving councillors, Andrew De Freitas, who represents Grimsby's Park ward, to question its validity.
"Based on the very poor turnout, the police and crime commissioner has no clear mandate," he said.
"These elections should never have happened, it was a daft idea of Cameron's and the Tories from the very outset.
"I felt strongly when it was first announced that we should not take part.
"There is no role for party politics in policing, we should have instead supported an independent candidate like Paul Davison."
In the Lincolnshire police force area, votes were counted at Lincoln Drill Hall and former Calendar presenter and Independent candidateAlan Hardwick scooped the role.
In both East Lindsey and West Lindsey just over 17 per cent of eligible residents cast their vote.
Hardwick will be paid £60,000 a year and will have powers to set police strategy and control budgets in the area, as well as to hire and fire the chief constables.
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