THE Conservative candidate to become West Mercia's next police and crime commissioner is under pressure to quit as a councillor if he wins.

Worcestershire's Liberal Democrats say John Campion "cannot do both roles at once" and should stop being a councillor altogether if he lands the £75,000-a-year role.

On Thursday voters across the force region will head to the polls to elect a new PCC to serve a four-year term overseeing the chief constable.

Councillor Campion sits on both Worcestershire County Council and Wyre Forest District Council, where he also holds decision-making cabinet positions.

The Lib Dems say they not only want him to give up the cabinet roles, but quit as a councillor altogether to focus fully on the PPC job.

But Councillor Campion says such a move would lumber taxpayers with the bill for two costly by-elections - and that he'd resign from his cabinet positions anyway in the event of a victory.

Councillor Liz Tucker, who runs County Hall's Lib Dem group, said: "The police commissioner role is a big job with a big salary.

"I think voters are entitled to know that whoever wins the election will give the job their full commitment.

"I want him to guarantee he'll be a full-time commissioner - the PCC is a very big role and people shouldn't do anything political.

"I don't wish to assume anything on whoever will win, but before people vote I think he should be clear."

Councillor Campion said: "There are county council elections next year anyway and secondly, I am not certainly counting any chickens over the result on Thursday.

"If I was elected I would step down from my 'cabinet member with responsibility' roles, but I don't think the public would be best served by having costly by-elections.

"We've seen with lots of councillors that many of them do have full-time jobs, and that's exactly what this is."

He also said it was "ironic" that the Lib Dems are calling for him to quit altogether given that one its former politicians was an MP and a councillor for so long.

Mike Hancock spent two spells as a Portsmouth MP spanning a total of 21 years whilst remaining a councillor.

He quit the Lib Dems in disgrace in 2014 after a complaint against him by a female constituent alleging improper conduct was resolved via an out-of-court settlement.

Lib Dem Margaret Rowley, Labour's Dan Walton, independent Barrie Sheldon, UKIP's Peter Jewell and Green John Raine all also vying to become West Mercia's new commissioner.

* ELECTIONS 2016: Who will become West Mercia's next police and crime commissioner?

* Take a look at a special elections section of our website HERE.