Candidate's '˜new force '¨to beat '¨rural crime'

Marc Jones, the Conservative candidate, says he would appoint ‘parish constables’ in communities across the county.

The new roles would mirror that of special constables who work on a voluntary basis, but who wear uniform and still hold the same powers as regular officers.

Mr Jones says he would recruit from Lincolnshire villages with full training made available to new parish constables before they join the beat.

In contrast to special constables, they would be permanently based in his or her local community with flexible hours to work around their other responsibilities.

Mr Jones said: “I’ve been speaking to residents and farmers across rural Lincolnshire and many are concerned about growing crime like farm, tractor and business thefts. This is why if elected in May I will launch a recruitment blitz for a new team of parish constables who will be fully trained and sourced from our close-knit communities.”