GLOUCESTERSHIRE residents are being reminded to take to the polls to elect their new police and crime commissioner.

Candidates for the May 5 election are sitting commissioner Martin Surl, Independent; Barry Kirby, Labour and Will Windsor-Clive, Conservative.

Police and crime commissioners oversee 41 police forces in the UK, setting the policing plan and budget, choosing the chief constable and holding the force to account.

The paid role is only coming up for election for the second time after it was brought into life by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition in September 2011.

The first elections, held in November 2012, were marred by low turn-outs -15.1 per cent nationally and 16 per cent in Gloucestershire.

Residents who are on the electoral roll are automatically eligible to vote.

Voting in the PCC election is different to other elections. The “supplementary vote” system is used, where voters choose their first and second-favourite candidates, and if no one wins the first round then everyone’s second choice is counted.