DYFED-POWYS’ police and crime commissioner who blew out the tyre of a force pool car while driving has admitted committing two offences of driving a car with defective tyres, the Cambrian News can reveal.

Christopher Salmon, who earns £65,000 a year, has admitted driving a police-owned vehicle with defective tyres at an unspecified location on 1 October last year after a probe by the Independent Police Complaints Commission was launched following a referral from the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Panel in January.

The Crown Prosecution Service has been handed the file by the IPCC after it concluded its investigation.

In a statement to the Cambrian News, 37-year-old Mr Salmon said:

“On 1 October 2015 I collected a shared pool car owned and maintained by Dyfed-Powys Police from the Force’s Headquarters,” he said.

“Before driving the car I did not check the condition of the tyres.

“The next day whilst I was driving the car there was a blow-out of a tyre.

“On subsequent examination the car was found to have two tyres that did not have sufficient tread to comply with the requirements of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations.

“I’m judged by the same laws as everyone else. I should have checked the tyres before using this shared car. I committed two offences of using a motor vehicle with defective tyres and I will accept the penalties imposed.”

Mr Salmon is currently campaigning to secure a second four-year term of office as residents go to the polls on 5 May.

Also standing are Richard Church (Liberal Democrat), William Edmund Davies (independent), Dafydd Llewelyn (Plaid Cymru), Kevin Madge (Labour) and Desmond Parkinson (UKIP).

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