KATY Bourne has been re-elected as Sussex's police and crime commissioner, defeating Labour's Michael Jones in a run-off.

The Tory candidate won 41.78 per cent of the first-choice votes and held onto the lead in second choice votes. 

She is now in charge of the police's budget and holding the chief constable to account for another four years.  

In Uckfield to hear the results, Mrs Bourne said she would "continue to deliver my promises across Sussex."

She added: "I think this is more than just a win for the Conservatives across Sussex, I think this is a win for everyone across Sussex. 

"And I am absolutely delighted to be re-elected to serve as PCC."

She said her priorities for the next four years would be “keeping Sussex safe, supporting victims of crime, and helping Sussex Police to improve all the time.”

The widely expected result followed a tough few years for Sussex Police in which they have announced plans to cut hundreds of officers and staff due to budget cuts. 

Mr Jones said: "Given how much of Sussex comprises of the leafy Tory shires, for me the result that I got this afternoon is almost better than winning.

"Today Sussex residents gave Conservatives a very clear messsage. 

"And that is they don't want their police cut; they don't want their PCSOs cut. 

"They do not want their police stations closed. 

"I believe this is something that the powers that be should reflect on very strongly indeed."

Voter turnout was 23.14 per cent, a 46 per cent increase on the 2012 turnout of 15.82 per cent. 

Mrs Bourne increased her share of first-choice votes, from 32 per cent in the 2012 election to 41.78 per cent. 

It was also a strong election for UKIP, which came second in Arun, Chichester, Rother, Wealden, Worthing and Horsham. 

Candidate Patrick Lowe said the results showed voters had increasing confidence in the party. 

Liberal Democrat candidate Dr James Walsh came fourth, and told The Argus he would continue to hold the police to account as a councillor.

Of the voter turnout, he said: "It's still shocking - it means that four out of five people have not voted."

Green Party candidate James Doyle, who got 9.49 per cent of first-choice votes, said: "I am pleased we have met our objectives; we got nearly ten per cent of the vote and kept our deposit.

"And we have given 26,000 people the chance to vote Green."

The Green Party did not field a candidate in the previous 2012 election as it believes the role of PCC should be abolished. 

The Conservatives won in all districts except Hastings and Brighton and Hove, where they were defeated by Labour's Mr Jones. 

Council Warren Morgan, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, said the result in the city was a "vote of confidence" in the administration. 

He said: “It’s a clear vote of confidence in our approach to running the council, delivering on jobs, homes and schools and working in partnership with the police on tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.”

With 27 of the 40 elections declared across England and Wales, the Conservatives have 15 PCCs and Labour has ten.

So far independents, who accounted for 12 posts at the first polls in 2012, have won two.

Conservatives were elected in Kent, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire and West Mercia - which were all won by independents in the first elections three-and-a-half years ago.

Elsewhere Labour's Ron Hogg (Durham), Jane Kennedy (Merseyside), Vera Baird (Northumbria), Paddy Tipping (Nottinghamshire) and Alan Billings (South Yorkshire) were among those re-elected.

Conservatives David Lloyd (Hertfordshire), Matthew Ellis (Staffordshire), Tim Passmore (Suffolk), and Anthony Stansfeld (Thames Valley) also secured second terms.

The turnout was seen as a major issue in the second elections for PCCs after just 15.1 per cent of registered voters took part in the first elections in November 2012.

This was the lowest recorded level of participation at a peacetime non-government election in Britain.

Mrs Bourne said she was encouraged to see it had increased. 

 She said: "I think the public understand the role far more than they did 3.5 years ago.

"And certainly that was been my experience on the door step yesterday when  I was out campaigning."