A CRACKDOWN on county lines gangs and improving confidence in policing were among the priorities unveiled in the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire's new Police and Crime Plan.

Conservative John Dwyer, who took on the role in May after defeating Labour's David Keane, officially presented the plan alongside the force's Chief Constable Mark Roberts on Monday (November 1).

In addition to outlining the commissioner's wider strategy, the document sets out how the commissioner will hold the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public and is split into six key themes.

These are:

Prevent and tackle crime

Make Cheshire's roads safer

Deliver justice for victims of crime

Protect vulnerable and at-risk people

Improve public confidence in policing

Modernise the police service

Speaking at the constabulary's HQ in Winsford, Mr Dwyer said: "The plan is based on conversations we had during my campaign and with the public since then and during the consultation process.

"What I'm saying to the chief is 'this is what the public want from you chief, what do you need from me to do it?'."

Chief Constable Roberts said policing had been shaken by the murder of Sarah Everard.

He said: "While we need to keep balance and recognise that he vast majority of people in policing are really good people, equally we can't be complacent, so we need to be rigorous with our internal processes."

The Chief Constable added that he wanted to make Cheshire a 'hostile environment' for criminal gangs coming from outside the county, so called 'county lines' criminals.

He said: "We're identifying people travelling into the county from as far afield as London, the Midlands, Manchester and Merseyside when frankly they're clearly here for no good.

"When you find a team full of people from one of the major cities during the early hours of the morning, they're not here to visit Chester, the Ice Cream Farm or Jodrell Bank, there's no real good explanation for why they're here, so we're quite candid that if we suspect you're here for no good, if there's a crime here we will follow it up and come and see you.

"That's to ensure Cheshire isn't perceived as a soft touch."

To read the Police and Crime Plan 2 go to www.cheshire-pcc.gov.uk/what-i-do/making-cheshire-safer/police-and-crime-plan