The Conservative candidate for the police leader role has promised to tackle funding, crime prevention, and rehabilitation.

Tim Passmore will be looking for a fourth consecutive term as the Conservative candidate for the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections on Thursday, May 2.

He has held the post since 2012, when the role was first introduced to provide oversight over police forces, making sure they are both effective and efficient.

Since then, Mr Passmore said, the force has continuously improved the delivery of its services but maintained more work was needed.

He added: "We've made very good progress but there's a lot more work to do.

"There's a packed agenda for the next few years, it's not a matter of just going through the motions."

The force also now employs 1,425 police officers, the highest level in its history, despite being the fourth lowest funded in the country.

Securing Government money has been a sticking point for Mr Passmore, who has insisted on the delivery of the police funding formula review promised by the Government.

He said: "This funding review has been in the depths of the Home Office for far too long and I'm pretty fed up with their prevarication delay.

"Whoever is in the next Government, I will continue to press the case."

Some of his promises include continuing work on drugs and county lines, supporting young people and tackling reoffending rates, ensuring the safety of women and girls, and being more productive with existing resources while avoiding tax hikes.

Although the role is politically aligned, Mr Passmore said tackling crime is non-political, with some of the current policing problems brought on by Governments of different colours going back 20 years.

Mr Passmore continued: "This is about what's best for Suffolk and I'm optimistic for the future but it's going to be hard work."

Each district council will be responsible for counting the ballot papers for its area, with the results being announced at West Suffolk House in Bury St Edmunds on Friday, May 3.

The other candidates are Sir Robin Wales (Labour and Co-operative Party), Rachel Smith-Lyte (Green Party), and James Sandbach (Liberal Democrats).