A PCC has reduced their top team’s headcount in a bid to save cash.

The new West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has cut three posts in a bid to save cash.

Simon Foster (Lab) has not appointed a deputy and deleted two other roles – and saved £100,000 as a result.

He’s not the only one to wield the axe; Nottinghamshire’s new PCC Caroline Henry scrapped the deputy role just days after being elected saying it was not mandated in law.

The new strategic team for England’s second-largest force has two assistants, a victims’ commissioner and three board members.

The new team is 50% female and is representative of the West Midlands.

The two Assistant Police and Crime Commissioners are Tom McNeil - a former charity lawyer and Cllr Wasim Ali (Lab), deputy leader of Sandwell Council.

The new Victims’ Commissioner is Birmingham City Council Cllr Nicky Brennan and th board members are Cllr Bhupinder Gakhal of City of Wolverhampton Council, Dr Cath Hannon – who is a former Detective Superintendent with the force and social entrepreneur Charmaine Burton.

Their appointments are for one year and their first meeting will be next month.

The board’s priority will be signing off the PCC’s crime plan which will have to meet pledges to increase new recruits, tackle violent crime, improve outcomes for domestic abuse and to protect victims of crime.

Mr Foster, said: “This is a dynamic, hard-working team that can help me deliver the priorities I have been elected upon. I have pledged to recruit 450 police officers and to place them in local communities across the West Midlands. I will also tackle violent crime and domestic abuse.

“The West Midlands faces big challenges over the coming years as we come out of the pandemic. My new team bring a wealth of experience which will help me deliver upon the public’s priorities to make the region safer and reduce crime.”