Cleveland PCC Steve Turner: Labour councils' leaders call for resignation

Four Labour group council leaders have issued new calls for the embattled Cleveland police and crime commissioner (PCC) to resign.

Conservative Steve Turner is being investigated over an allegation that he committed a sexual assault in the 1980s, which he denies.

The PCC described the demands as people "playing party politics" with his reputation and his family's health.

The Labour leaders said they had "no faith" in him continuing in the role.

Stockton Council leader Bob Cook, Middlesbrough councillor Matt Storey, Hartlepool councillor Brenda Harrison and Redcar and Cleveland group chief councillor Alec Brown have signed a joint statement calling on Mr Turner to stand down, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

In November, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it had begun a "managed investigation" into the sexual assault allegation.

The probe is being conducted by Avon and Somerset Police.

However, the IOPC has also previously confirmed it would not be investigating three other complaints against the commissioner.

These included a referral relating to a police caution Mr Turner received in the 1990s after he admitted handling £15 worth of stolen goods while working as a manager at a Safeway supermarket. 

In the joint statement, the four leaders said: "Mr Turner publicly accused local MP Andy McDonald of lying and then within days admitted the truth of his caution for theft.

"It is bad enough that he kept this from the public when running for election but what makes it worse is that he issued a denial before belatedly coming clean."

The letter pointed to the ongoing investigation against the PCC and said the quartet had "no faith" that he could carry out his duties - which include the appointment of a new Cleveland Police chief constable to replace Richard Lewis, who is due to leave at the end of this week.

The statement continued: "Mr Turner must now do the right thing and resign for the good of the force and to restore public trust and faith in the office of PCC."

The commissioner, who was elected in May, has previously said he had been given no details of the sexual assault allegation and the investigation could take years to conclude.

In response to the four councillors, he said: "I condemn their actions in the strongest possible terms as playing party politics with a man's reputation and the health and wellbeing of his family. 

"Andy McDonald abused Parliamentary privilege to state I was sacked for systematic theft. 

"I categorically was not sacked for systematic theft, and the IOPC investigation has cleared me of that."

Mr McDonald aired allegations of theft against Mr Turner in the House of Commons in September. 

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