WHO do you want in charge of your local police force?

That’s what voters in the region will be asked when the second Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections are held on Thursday, May 5.

All candidates have now been declared ahead of the polls, and there are some interesting contests ahead.

In County Durham and Darlington, Labour’s Ron Hogg, a former senior police officer, is standing for re-election, up against Conservative Peter Cuthbertson, who runs the Centre for Crime Prevention and was selected on a “zero tolerance” ticket, and Liberal Democrat Craig Martin, who has worked as a teacher and charity trustee and stood in last year’s General Election in Durham City.

Perhaps the most bitter battle will be in Cleveland, where Labour incumbent Barry Coppinger will face competition from independent Sultan Alan, a retired Cleveland officer who was wrongly sacked and jailed and received a pay-out of more than £840,000 from the force in 2012 following an eight-year fight to clear his name.

Also in the running is Steve Matthews, another former Cleveland officer who was also chair of the area’s Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers. He will stand for Ukip.

The Conservative candidate is Matthew Vickers, a Stockton councillor and member of Cleveland’s Police and Crime Panel.

Across the border in North Yorkshire, Conservative incumbent Julia Mulligan is standing for re-election, facing independent Mike Pannett, Labour’s Steve Howley and Lib Dem James Blanchard.

Mr Pannett is a former police officer turned best-selling author; Mr Howley is a firefighter and leader of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in North Yorkshire; and Mr Blanchard is a York-based father-of-three who has worked in communications and campaigns.

Former Labour Solicitor General and Redcar MP Vera Baird is standing for re-election in Northumbria, against Conservative Stewart Hay, a former police officer turned consultant solicitor; Jonathan Wallace, leader of Gateshead Council’s Lib Dems; and Ukip’s Melanie Hurst, who previously worked for the National Identity Fraud Unit.

PCCs are charged with delivering efficient and effective policing in their area.

Voter turnout across the North-East and North Yorkshire for the first elections, in November 2012, was just 15.2 per cent.

The deadline for registering to vote in May’s elections is Monday (April 18). To do so, visit gov.uk/register-to-vote.

For more information on the elections and candidates, visit choosemypcc.org.uk