TODAY we call on Prime Minister David Cameron and his Government to listen to the public and have the bravery to scrap this farcical Police and Crime Commissioner role.

Yesterday’s election may have installed Anthony Stansfeld as commissioner of Thames Valley Police but he has no mandate and therefore no power.

He will arrive in Kidlington with only 5.5 per cent of voters in the Thames Valley actually backing him. Some may say this is not that bad but flip the figures: Of 1,698,041 people who could vote, 1,603,803 did not cast a ballot for him.

And there was an obvious protest vote.

In Oxford the percentage of papers rejected by counters was 11 times more than the last city council elections.

We do not say this to attack Mr Stansfeld in any way because he and his fellow candidates fought this election the best they could. Their misfortune was to be made to perform in the electoral equivalent of a three-ring circus.

Yes, the election was held in November and that may have had an effect.

Yes, many voters did not receive information about each candidate.

Yes, local elections traditionally do suffer from voter apathy.

But those are minor contributory factors. What Mr Cameron and his cabinet should admit is the public have looked at this change in police management and rejected it, either through refusing to go out and vote or, significantly, spoiling their ballot papers.

Many intelligent people would have spoiled their ballot reluctantly but chose to do so because they felt this was the most vocal way they could protest.

The new Commissioner system will supposedlly make policing more democratic and accountable. If that is truly the intent, Mr Cameron must heed the electorate’s voice and abolish this discredited scheme.