Crime tsar puts ‘palatial’ HQ on market

Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Grove is honouring a pledge in his manifesto to sell off the “palatial” Grade II listed building in High Street. Money raised will go into a community crime prevention fund.

Mr Grove, who has run into criticism over his desire to appoint his Tory colleague on East Riding Council Paul Robinson as his deputy on a £45,000-a-year salary, said: “I have a huge building for 12 people which has extremely high overheads; it is too large for the people who currently occupy it and it is in the wrong place.”

Coun Robinson’s appointment has to be ratified by a crime panel next Friday. Chair Coun David Rudd voiced a number of concerns yesterday including “the possibility of cronyism”.

“We have an election in three and a half years and we don’t want to offer meat and drink to the opposition parties,” he said.