LIAM Silcocks, an independent candidate to be Wiltshire’s police and crime commissioner, says he aims to rebuild the relationship between officers and residents by setting up a Hillsborough-style inquiry to look into alleged wrongdoings at the force.

Mr Silcocks, 42, of West Ashton, near Trowbridge, was involved in a campaign to establish the current Independent Police Complaints Commission and says public trust is key during funding cuts as officers rely more on community intelligence to solve crimes.

Police and crime commissioners are being brought in by the Government to replace police authorities in England and Wales, and will have the power to hire and fire Chief Constables and set the force’s budget and strategy.

The other candidates up for the countywide election on November 15 are Labour’s Clare Moody, Conservative Angus Macpherson and Lib Dem Paul Batchelor, as well as John Short for the UK Independence Party, and independent Colin Skelton.

Mr Silcocks, who campaigned for the replacement of the old Police Complaints Authority between 1990 and 2004 due to concern about its effectiveness, said that if elected he would establish a review panel of lay members to investigate complaints against Wiltshire Police and, if necessary, recommend sanctions and prosecutions.

He said: “The first thing I want to get across is that the majority of police in the county do a fantastic job and they’re decent, honest people, but there’s a minority – and there always has been – that have done wrong and who try to cover up what they’ve done wrong.

“And we need to investigate these officers that aren’t 100 per cent decent and honest and deal with it.”

Mr Silcocks, an IT service manager, said another priority would be to make savings to support frontline officers by working with neighbouring forces to combine common back-office functions.

“This is making use of what all forces have in the background,” he said.

Mr Silcocks said any savings would go towards greater police visibility.

Mr Silcocks said he would also provide funding for charities and voluntary groups to reduce offending.