James Sandbach has been chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner election which is due to take place in May this year.

Mr Sandbach, who lives in Saxmundham, was LibDem candidate for Suffolk Coastal in the 2015 and 2017 general elections, and stood for the party in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich in the 2019 election.

He is the third candidate to have declared for the election which is due to be held on May 6 - joining Conservative incumbent Tim Passmore and Labour's Elizabeth Hughes on the ballot paper. The Green Party is still to formally adopt a candidate.

Mr Sandbach works for a legal support group and is a long-standing campaigner on legal issues. Over the past 15 years he has worked for leading national charities Citizens Advice, the Legal Action Group, and LawWorks (the solicitors pro bono group).

After his selection he said: "I am delighted to have been selected to be the Lib Dem PCC candidate for Suffolk. The PCC has an important role in supporting our fantastic local police force, and ensuring the policing needs of all of Suffolk’s communities are met.

"Since I moved to Suffolk, I’ve been struck by the ever-diminishing emphasis on community policing – police numbers down, local stations closed, and the thin blue line stretched far too thinly.

"I strongly believe that when it comes to fighting crime, anti-social behaviour and low-level disorder, prevention and deterrence is always the best approach but to do that well there must be a strong bond between the police and local communities, accessibility, and a visible presence.

"I’m looking forward to talking to communities across Suffolk about their concerns and my priority will be to fight for better funding and resources to support the police in the vital work they do in the community.”

This is the third election for PCCs - it had been due to take place last May but it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The election was put of until this year when it is due to be held on the same day as county council elections and the poll for a third of the seats on Ipswich Borough Council.