A LABOUR politician has joined the race to become Essex’s first elected Police and Crime Commissioner, promising to cut crime, not coppers.

Jordan Newell, 28, has thrown his hat into the ring to become Labour’s candidate ahead of the party’s deadline for nominations this Friday.

Mr Newell, currently chairman of the Colchester Labour Party, has already secured the support of former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, along with colleagues and councillors in north Essex.

Pointing to figures recently released showing 78 police officers have been lost from the frontline in the last year, he said he would focus on battling the Coalition Government’s cuts to police budgets.