Votes have begun to be counted to decide who will be Hertfordshire’s first ever Police Crime Commissioner.

The four candidates - David Lloyd (Conservative), Sherma Batson (Labour), Christopher Townsend (Lib Dem) and Marion Mason (UKIP) - face a nervous wait to hear who has secured the £75,000 per year role.

The successful candidate will be expected to scrutinise the force on behalf the electorate and will have the power to dismiss the chief constable.

Voter turnout in the county was 14.5 per cent with just 9,374 people going to the polls in Watford (13.54 per cent), 17,435 people in St Albans (16.4 per cent), 9,259 people in Hertsmere (12.3 per cent) and 15,091 in Dacorum (13.74 per cent).

The count, at Ware, began at 11am and the first round of results are expected at around 2pm however second preference votes must then be counted so a final result could be significantly later than that.