NORTH Wales Police have a new police and crime commissioner.

Votes for a new commissioner, who has a duty to secure an ‘efficient and effective’ police force, were cast last Thursday, 5 May, but the final result was not released until Sunday, 8 May.

Owain Arfon Jones, who represents Plaid Cymru, won the election after going to a second round of votes.

Neither of the two top candidates, Owain Arfon Jones and Labour candidate David Taylor, received more than half of the electorates’ vote so another ‘supplementary vote’ was tallied.

Supplementary or ‘second preference’ votes are only used if no candidate receives more than 50 per cent of the ballot.

The top two candidates then receive the second preference votes from their eliminated opponents.

Under this system, the Plaid Cymru candidate was able to best his Labour contestant by more than 25,000 votes.

Speaking of his new appointment, Mr Jones - a former Inspector in Harlech - said: “I am overjoyed by the result and humbled by the size of the majority which is a real vote of confidence by the people of north Wales.

“I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and to work with the staff at the police commissioners office and all elected members across north Wales.

“One of my first priorities will be ensuring that the vulnerable victims of domestic violence get the support that they need and to try and stop the cycle of crime with young people by intervening earlier with Youth Justice Interventions.”

See the full story in this week’s Meirionnydd and Arfon/Dwyfor editions of the Cambrian News