POLICE and crime commissioner Philip Allott will tomorrow face a no confidence vote from members of his own police and crime panel.

Liberal Democrats on the panel say Mr Allott's comments following the sentencing of Wayne Couzens for the murder of York woman Sarah Everard were 'offensive'.

Referring to the coronavirus laws that former Met Police officer Couzens used to falsely arrest Sarah, Mr Allott told BBC Radio York that women needed to be 'streetwise about when they can and when they can’t be arrested'.

The comments prompted calls for Mr Allott, a Conservative, to resign

Police, fire and crime panel member and Liberal Democrat York councillor Darryl Smalley said the panel had received more than 100 complaints - and a 10,000-name petition.

“Mr Allott’s comments and the hurt and anger he has caused is simply unacceptable, " Cllr Smalley said. "This scandal cannot be simply swept away.

“There is a need for a cultural as well as legislative change to protect women and girls and make our streets safer – this change must start with the Commissioner.

"If passed, the no-confidence vote could not directly remove Mr Allott from his post, but it would clearly send a message of condemnation over his appalling comments."

Councillor Smalley has also called for ‘recall’ legislation – the law that allows MPs to be held to account by voters when their conduct falls short of the standards expected of them – to be extended to Crime Commissioners

“It’s frankly outrageous that Police Commissioners are so unaccountable to the residents they are elected to serve," he said. "The ‘recall’ laws which apply to MPs should urgently be extended to include Police Commissioners.”