IF Bill Longmore does need a deputy police and crime commissioner, the role should be going to a woman – that’s the view of the leader of Worcestershire County Council.

Councillor Adrian Hardman has accused the region’s first elected police chief of wasting public money by proposing a fellow ex-policeman be his assistant.

Mr Longmore wants Barrie Sheldon, a former PC and detective inspector at Staffordshire Police, to be his £50,000 a year deputy.

Coun Hardman said: “You want someone who has a different skills set and can offer a different approach.

“In his case, I would say he should be looking for a woman, and ideally someone who is a bit younger.

"If he went for a woman and someone who is genuinely different from him, maybe he could have got some traction from that.

“Because he is from Shropshire, it would also have been good if he went for someone from Worcestershire or Herefordshire.

“What you certainly don’t want is someone who was your mate from 20 years ago. It’s clearly the wrong thing to be doing.”

Mr Longmore, aged 76, who was elected last month on a £75,000 salary, hired Mr Sheldon to be his campaign publicity manager.

Last week the Police and Crime Panel recommended he scrap the appointment of Mr Sheldon. Mr Longmore refused to comment on the saga yesterday.