Cheshire's police and crime panel is advertising for a new independent member, after former chair Evan Morris quit.

The job of the panel is to hold the police and crime commissioner to account and 'to have an input into the scrutiny of policing in the county'.

Now Cheshire East Council, which is the secretariat for the panel, is advertising for a new independent member, following Mr Morris' controversial resignation earlier this year.

Cheshire Police and crime commissioner, Dan Price (Pcc Office).

The council says: "The panel plays a key role in scrutinising the performance of the elected Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner and promotes openness in the delivery of policing throughout Cheshire.

"Three independent co-opted members sit alongside 10 councillors representing Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington councils.

"Independent members are full voting members of the panel, they are treated equally to the elected local authority members and have the same responsibilities and duties."

Mr Morris, who was a co-opted independent member and chaired the panel for nearly seven years, resigned in September, saying he disagreed with the way new commissioner Dan Price (Lab) was dealing with some submitted questions from the panel.

He was backed, after he had quit, by former panel member Lynn Riley who told the October panel meeting: "Those of you who know him will undoubtedly know that his recent actions will have been motivated purely by the principle of attempting to protect and uphold local democracy while holding an elected commissioner to account."

A spokesperson for the police and crime commissioner told the Local Democracy Reporting Service at the time of Mr Morris' resignation: "Dan Price has not been made aware of the reasons why the chairman of the police and crime panel has quit.

PCC, Dan Price, was not made aware of the reasons why chairman of the police and crime panel, Evan Morris, quit in September (Cheshire Police).

"He's always happy to answer any questions posed to him by the panel, under the Home Office guidance and terms of reference of his role as set out by the panel."

More information about the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel and how to submit an application to become a co-opted independent member, can be found HERE.

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