Elections in the Burnham-on-Crouch and Dengie Peninsula area tomorrow (Thursday, 6 May) will involve voting for the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC), as well as for the local seat (the Southminster division) on Essex County Council.

Here, Burnham & Dengie Nub News brings you a summary of the key election priorities of the four candidates in the PFCC election.

The role of the elected PFCC will be to take on governance of Fire and Rescue Services. You can find out more about the role by visiting the link here.

Roger Hirst, Conservative Party:

• provide funding for an additional 300 police officers, on top of the 500 we have already added.
• tackle domestic and sexual abuse and harassment
• crack down on drug-driven violence and gangs
• support Community Speed Watch, and Fire & Rescue in their role to educate drivers and riders
• expand further the number of Special Constables
• protect those in rural areas and keep businesses safer and free from crime
• a shift in main effort from rapid response into a model of targeted prevention and early intervention
• work in partnership with communities to identify where people are most exposed and keep them safe.

Key priorities include:

• oppose the British Establishment's attempts to break England up into "Regions"
• oppose sending too much of English taxes to Scotland and Wales, at the expense of England
• end "Politically Correct policing"
• ensure that the Animal Welfare Laws are strictly enforced in Halal slaughter houses
• support victims of crime in defending themselves and their homes against criminals, in accordance with the English Bill of Rights
• grant licences for carrying pepper sprays to allow people to protect themselves from attack
• ensure firearms certificates are granted to people of good character who want to exercise their constitutional right to defend their homes.

Key priorities include:

• campaign for more funding to support our Police and Fire Service' work across Essex
• work together with the police federation and the Fire Brigade to support those on the front line
• change the role of the Deputy PFCC to work closely with charities and local groups to tackle violence against women
• develop more effective strategies to fight back against gang violence, knife crime and county lines drug dealing across Essex.

Jon Whitehouse, Liberal Democrats:

• put our communities at the heart of our police and fire strategy: the police working with local councils, voluntary organisations, and residents to tackle crime at the roots, not simply clean up afterwards
• stop police station closures in Essex
• support public services. Cuts to youth services lead to fewer opportunities for young people, and higher anti-social behaviour levels
• work to ensure that fewer people end up in the criminal justice system. Two effective ways of doing this are adopting a public health first approach to tackle drug abuse and using restorative justice to intervene and divert people away from the criminal justice system at an earlier date
• ensure fire and policing services work together, including a public education program to reduce nuisance calls
• ensure police officers and firefighters have the training and support needed to tackle the challenges they face every day.