The leader of an Oxfordshire council looks set to take up a full-time position as deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley.

Matthew Barber, who has been the leader of Vale of White Horse District Council since 2011, was appointed as deputy PCC in December 2016.

Mr Barber was initially appointed as a part-time member of staff but the PCC, Anthony Stansfeld, has recommended his post becomes full-time to deal with an increasing workload.

That would mean Mr Barber’s salary increases from £45,000 to £65,000 a year.

The Oxford Mail has approached Mr Barber for comment.

It is unclear whether he will remain council leader if he assumes the new role.

The Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel will be asked to approve the move at a meeting on Friday. If it gets the go-ahead, Mr Barber will start as full-time deputy on May 21.

Labour and Co-operative Party councillor Tom Hayes, who represents Oxford City Council on Thames Valley Police’s Police and Crime Panel, said: “The Police and Crime Commissioner is basically adding a clone of himself with a white, male Tory Brexiteer as his full-time deputy.

"When the police are facing serious challenges, not least because of Brexit, we need new approaches and ways of thinking, not more Tory cronyism.”

Mr Hayes is standing for re-election in his St Clement’s ward on May 3.

His opponents are: Luke Allen for the Conservative Party, Graham Jones for the Liberal Democrats and David Thomas for the Green Party.