Newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford has reached the milestone of his first four weeks in office.

PCC Mark Shelford has spent his first 30 days getting to know the policing family and tasking his team in the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) with his priority areas of work, to ensure Avon and Somerset is the most efficient and effective police service for all our communities.

In his first four weeks, the PCC has completed a whirlwind tour of Avon and Somerset Police to meet and talk to officers and staff in order to help him understand his patch and some of the issues faced by the police service and the communities they serve.

Friday (June 11) marked the completion of the PCC's 'tour de force' following visits all over, including: Somerton, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Taunton and Wellington, Bath, Keynsham and Radstock, Bristol East and Patchway in South Glos.

PCC Mark Shelford said: "My first 30 days have been insightful and interesting. I have been speaking to leaders and frontline officers and staff across Avon and Somerset and there are some incredibly dedicated, diligent and caring people doing some great work within our communities to keep people safe."

The tour will continue until the PCC has met the entire policing family, with the second phase branching out to include public engagements with partner organisations and key political stakeholders, on a weekly basis, from July onwards.

PCC Mark Shelford has wasted no time in establishing priority areas of work for his team in the OPCC.

They include:

• The Police and Crime Plan
• Hiring a new Chief Constable and several important posts within the OPCC
• A review of the governance and scrutiny structures to improve openness and transparency in the way we hold the Chief Constable and his police service to account
• A reviewing the effectiveness of the provision of police stations and buildings across the area

The PCC continued: "Work is moving at a pace and gathering momentum. There is much to be done to ensure our residents are getting the best possible police service. Part of that will include consulting the public and all our partners on my Police and Crime Plan and I will be launching an open consultation at the end of this month to offer people the opportunity to have their say."