Calls have been made for Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner to stand down

Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner is under pressure to resign after Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald raised the issue in the House of Commons tonight.

The Conservative PCC is alleged to have been sacked after the "systematic theft" of goods from Safeway supermarket, where he worked in the early 2000s.

Mr Turner has tonight denied the allegations. 

The Labour MP made the remarks during a debate on Election Reform and has called on Mr Turner to resign imediately.

He said: "On the topic of Police and Crime Commissioner elections, is she as staggered as I am to learn that the Conservative Party’s PCC for Cleveland, Steve Turner, who was elected earlier this year, was in fact sacked in the early 2000s for systematic theft of merchandise from his then-employer, Safeway supermarket, at their Norton store?

"Does she agree with me that it is totally untenable for someone who has engaged in such criminal behaviour to hold the position of PCC, and that he must resign from his role with immediate effect?"

Middlesbrough Labour MP Andy McDonald

Cat Smith, the Labour MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, added: "I would certainly agree with him (Mr McDonald) that it is untenable for a criminal to hold a position of Police and Crime Commissioner and if what my Honourable friend has shared with the house tonight is true then I would a resignation and a by-election with immediate affect."

Mr Turner was elected in a landslide vote in May promising to crackdown on crime with a hardline on petty offences and drugs.

The MP and the PCC clashed on the BBC's Politics North Show at the weekend when Mr McDonald raised the issue of Mr Turner's previous employer Safeway.

Mr Turner said: "It has been brought to my attention this evening that Middlesbrough’s Labour MP, Andy McDonald, has used Parliamentary privilege to make an allegation against me.

"The allegation he made is untrue, if he is willing to make it outside of the chamber the matter can be resolved in a libel court.

"As Cleveland’s Police and crime commissioner I have vital work to do for the benefit of all in the force area including Mr McDonald’s own constituents.

"That work is too important to allow such a naked Political attack as this to derail it and I refuse to give this allegation any credence whatsoever."