Former police authority chairman Stephen Bett has been declared Norfolk's first police and crime commissioner (PCC).

Mr Bett, who resigned as chairman and from the Conservative party to embark on a campaign as an independent candidate, beat Tory candidate Jamie Athill into second place.

Mr Bett received a total of 39,988 votes compared to Mr Athill, who was selected as Conservative candidate ahead of Mr Bett in the summer. Mr Athill received a total of 36,605.

The results were announced at St Andrews Hall, in Norwich, just after 6.15pm.

Mr Bett said: 'Thank you Norfolk! I'm delighted to have won the election to be Norfolk's first police and crime commissioner and pleased that my non-party political stance won the day with the voters.'

He also thanked his family and campaign team, who dubbed his bid The Safe Bett, for their 'fantastic' support.

Mr Athill said: 'This is my first election and of course I'm disappointed to have lost but the first thing Iu must to is congratulate Mr Bett and his team.' He added he was a supporter of the post of police and crime commissioner and said Mr Bett would have his 'support'.

The race to become Norfolk's first PCC became a two-horse race after the first round of voting. Mr Athill and Mr Bett were out in front after the Norfolk first round results were announced just before 4pm.

But as no man had secured more than 50pc of the vote, voters' second preferences were counted.

Mr Athill, who received 30,834 (31.7 pc) votes, and Mr Bett, who got 27, 842 (28.6pc) then went head-to-head in a second round of counting after the three other candidates were eliminated.

Former Norwich City Council leader Steve Morphew, Labour's candidate, received 21,456 votes (22pc), Ukip's Matthew Smith 9,633 (9.9pc) and Lib Dem candidate James Joyce got 7,392 (7.6 pc).

The total valid first preference votes for Norfolk was 97,157 while the total rejected was 3,251, which means a total of 100,408 people voted in Norfolk.

Overall turnout was 15pc of eligible voters, which breaks down as Breckland 12.9pc, Broadland 15pc, Great Yarmouth 12.6pc, King's Lynn 14.5pc, North Norfolk 16.1pc, Norwich 16.3pc and South Norfolk 17pc.

In Suffolk Conservative Tim Passmore has become Suffolk's first police and crime commissioner.

Labour's Jane Basham had held a narrow lead in the race after round one, but after the second choices of those who voted for David Cocks, an independent, and Bill Mountford, Ukip, were counted, Mr Passmore won.

The turnout figure in Suffolk has been confirmed as 16.01pc, meaning 88,497 of the county's 552,780 voters bothered to take part in the election.

For full story see tomorrow's paper.