Elections take place today for the Police and Crime Commissioner election for Rutland and Leicestershire.

The elections, which were postponed from last year due to the pandemic, will feature a range of Covid safety measures in place, such as voters bringing their own pencil.

The candidates are:

Rupert Oliver Matthews – The Conservative Party

Ross Willmott – Labour and Co-operative Party.

As Nub News has previously reported, Mr Matthews, 59, is a former member of the European Parliament and an author on the paranormal.

His campaign website can be found here.

Mr Moore teaches history and politics at the University of Leicester and details of him can be found here.

Ross Willmott is the leader of Leicester City Council and a former county councillor. His campaign website is here.

The three are battling it out to replace the incumbent Labour's Lord Willy Bach, 74, who is retiring after serving one term in the post.

The PCC election is taking place alongside the Leicestershire County Council election and a small number of other local and parish elections. Rutland County Council is staging no elections as they were last held in 2019.

The role of the Police and Crime Commissioner is to hold the police to account on behalf of the public, becoming a link between the police and communities, working to ensure policing and crime reduction efforts match the ambitions of the public.

Arrangements have been put in place to ensure polling stations are safe places to cast ballots and people can expect many of the measures they've become used to over recent months such as hand sanitiser, floor markings and face coverings.

Voters are also being encouraged to bring along their own pen or pencil to mark their ballot paper with.

If you don't know where your polling station his, the Electoral Commission website can help if you know your postcode.

Polling closes tonight at 10pm.