Meet the Commissioner - MUST WATCH

"I hope you'll all stand up and join me in thinking about Nelson Mandela for a minute"

I saw last third....must catch on....errr... watch on catch-up TV , Guardian Review :
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A police and crime commissioner has defended herself against sharp criticism following a "car crash" Channel 4 fly-on-the-wall documentary about her.

Ann Barnes, PCC for Kent, said it was not her intention to attract bad publicity to the county's police officers and staff.

Viewers of Thursday's Meet The Police Commissioner programme said Barnes, a former teacher, was an "embarrassment" to Kent police.

In the hour-long show, Barnes, who travels around in a van she calls "Ann Force 1", struggled to explain what her £85,000-a-year role involved.

The documentary showed her having difficulty explaining an approach to policing priorities called "the onion", and bringing her dogs into the office.

She also failed to write her title correctly on a whiteboard, was filmed painting her "flaky" nails and compared the force to a tin of paint that she wanted to "prise" open.

On Twitter, viewers compared her to Ricky Gervais's character in The Office, David Bren, and one said the show was "depressingly hilarious, hilariously depressing".

One tweeted: "What an embarrassment Ann Barnes, PCC for Kent police, is. Anybody watching this car crash TV? I'm not sure if this is a joke or not."

Another said she was "a total embarrassment and waste of taxpayers' money".

Barnes said in a statement: "I want to be absolutely clear that in agreeing to the film being made, it was never my intention to draw adverse publicity to the excellent work being carried out by officers and staff in often very difficult circumstances."

In the programme, Barnes was filmed saying that driving a Mercedes was not her "image". The next shot showed her arriving at work in a Mercedes.

Barnes, who was elected in 2012, said she was concerned by claims that her appearance had damaged the reputation of Kent police.

She said she was disappointed that the programme focused too much on her, rather than the work of her office.

In a statement on her website, she said: "Many people have given their views on the programme and have speculated about my motivation for doing it.

"The only reason I agreed to do the documentary was to help people to better understand the job of a police and crime commissioner.

"The decision to let a film crew examine the work of the office for four months was not one I took lightly.

"I hoped it would give an insight into what is being done to help achieve the best possible police service for Kent.

"The film does go some way to addressing the complexities of the job and illustrates some of the challenges involved.

"But I am disappointed that there is too much emphasis on me as an individual and not enough on the work of the office."

She listed achievements, including addressing concerns about crime recording, developing a new victims' centre and investment in body-worn cameras and digital devices.

Ian Pointon, chairman of the Kent Police Federation, told BBC Radio Kent: "I think it was probably a disaster from start to finish, in fairness.

"It was an ill-advised concept and from within Kent police I know that Mrs Barnes was advised not to do it. It was never going to end well.

"I think, sadly, it has turned Kent police by association into something of a laughing stock. Social media was alight with comments."

Repeated tonight on 4seven, Sky channel 140... recorder set 

Car crash doesn't do it justice. A 30-car pile-up following a lorry full of margarine jack-knifing on the M25 is closer.

Still, worth the licence fee alone. Quality television (and stitch-up)...