Hampshire’s top police chief Donna Jones has been accused of abusing her position when she announced her intention to become the area’s first mayor.

A complaint made against the police and crime commissioner (PCC) hit out at her using her office’s communications channels to share her intention to run for mayor following devolution – but this was not considered a breach of the code of conduct by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Panel’s complaints sub-committee

In March, PCC Donna Jones made a statement about the devolution in the Solent and the Hampshire region and the future of the police, since under the government devolution plan, the role of the PCC could be abolished and taken over by the future mayor.

In the press release, Mrs Jones discussed what it would mean for Hampshire to be included in the fast-track programme, the changes in the local government, the mayor’s role, and the “opportunities” of devolution.

However, at the end of the release, the commissioner stated her intention to run for mayor in the May 2026 municipal elections.

After that release, two complaints, dated March 26 and 31, were received against the PCC relating to the statement.

The first complaint concerned the use of official PCC communications channels to promote Mrs Jones’ mayoral candidacy.

It said: “This would constitute an inappropriate use of public money and resources for personal political gain.

“It is essential that the PCC’s office remains politically neutral and is not seen to promote one person or party’s candidate for mayor. Taxpayers’ money certainly shouldn’t be used for this purpose.”

The complainant asked for an impartial investigation to determine whether public resources were misused.

In the same line, the second complaint said that the PCC used the PCC platform to pursue her “political ambitions”. It said: “ She has begun her political election campaign for an office that is not the PCC and is using established PCC communication channels.”

The complainant added that people sign up for social media and follow Mrs Jones as PCC to hear about how she is commissioning the police and “holding the police to account,” but “using these channels to broadcast her mayoral ambitions is an abuse of her position as PCC”.

The OPCC chief executive and monitoring officer, Kate Gunson, in a letter to the sub-committee, said that after reviewing the complaints and the statement published on the OPCC website she was “satisfied” that the OPCC staff and resources are not being used to support Donna Jones’ campaign to run for mayor.

At the sub-committee (May 6), councillors resolved that the PCC did not breach the code of conduct.

Shirley Young, chairman of the committee, said the news release was factual and informative about devolution and the future of the PCC role and not an “incorrect” statement.

Mrs Young said: “The complainant complained about her using the OPCC channel for election purposes, and I don’t see that.”

Councillor Gwen Robinson said: “It’s just an open statement in which she has been very honest. She is highly thought of. I don’t think there is anything there.

Therefore, the sub-committee concluded that none of the principles of the PCC code of conduct were engaged or breached.