Councillor appointed to 'controversial' police role

Nottinghamshire's police and crime commissioner has appointed a city councillor as his deputy.

Angela Kandola will take on the role after being approved by the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Panel on Monday.

The appointment was originally due to be confirmed in August, but the meeting was postponed while "checks and due diligence" were carried out.

Labour PCC Gary Godden said "it's really important the due diligence is done to make sure that candidate is absolutely the right candidate", but he would not comment on the nature of the checks.

"It was prudent of me just to take a step back and wait an extra month to appoint, just on the basis I wanted to really make sure everything I knew about Angela was correct," he said.

Kandola, who also represents the Berridge Ward for Labour on Nottingham City Council, said she was "very honoured and privileged" to be appointed.

She added: "The most important thing is having trust in communities and building that trust with the police. That is something I will be able to do."

The previous PCC, Conservative Caroline Henry, scrapped the deputy position to save money.

Godden said he needed one because of "extreme amounts of demand" on his time, and he believes it will be value for money.

Documents presented to the Police and Crime Panel state she will be paid a salary of £62,720, pro rata.

Conservative county councillor Jonathan Wheeler told the panel the money "could be better spent in the community".

Ashfield Independent county councillor John Wilmott called the appointment a "controversial decision" but said it could be "advantageous".

Speaking in support of the role, Labour Nottingham city councillor Linda Woodings, said the previous PCC "admitted to this panel that she was struggling to cover all of the meetings and responsibilities that were part of her duties".

Independent chair of the panel, Christine Goldstraw, told the meeting that petitions both for and against Kandola's appointment had been received.

In response, Godden said he was "more than satisfied" that all checks were "completed and accurate".

Kandola said she was "more than happy to complete the whole due diligence before coming to panel".

She added she intended to continue to represent the Berridge Ward on the council.

She said she would be able to "juggle" her time, with the deputy PCC role taking up four days a week, while her work as a councillor takes one day a week, with further work at weekends.

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