Who is Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry?

Mrs Henry was caught speeding in a blue Mercedes and a silver Lexus with a personalised number plate in 30mph zones at four locations across the county, including one near a school.

Christine Goldshaw, the independent chairman of Nottinghamshire police and crime panel, said the news about the commissioner was ‘a bombshell’ and ‘deeply disappointing’.

Other councillors and officials have now called for her to resign amid the court case.

Who is she?

Caroline Henry is 52 years old and currently lives in Giltbrook, just a few minutes from where she grew up and went to school.

She was elected into the role of Police and Crime Commissioner in May 2021 after spending her life living and working in Nottinghamshire.

She is the wife of Broxtowe MP Darren Henry and has two children.

What does a Police and Crime Commissioner do?

The role of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is to be the voice of the people and hold the police to account.

They are responsible for the totality of policing. PCCs aim to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service within their police force area.

They are elected by the public to hold Chief Constables and the force to account, making the police answerable to the communities they serve.

PCCs ensure community needs are met as effectively as possible, and are improving local relationships through building confidence and restoring trust.

They work in partnership across a range of agencies at local and national level to ensure there is a unified approach to preventing and reducing crime.

‘Getting tough on crime’

Mrs Henry’s introduction on the Nottinghamshire Police website emphasises her commitment to her role.

It reads: “After spending her life living, working and breathing Nottinghamshire, Caroline is determined to get tough on crime and ensure victims are always heard.

“Caroline is not a career politician, she’s a career business-woman.

“Having commissioned a wide range of services in many roles for both the private and public sectors and for charities, in a career spanning more than 30 years, Caroline takes a hands-on approach to the commissioner role.

“She brings fresh energy and ideas to get things done.

“She brings to the role an enormous amount of business experience in order to oversee an important budget, always ensuring value-for-money for the taxpayer and that maximum investment goes to front-line policing.

“Putting more police officers on the streets and investing in policing presence in towns across Nottinghamshire are two of Caroline’s big priorities during her term in office.”

Mrs Henry’s case has now been adjourned until July 19, where she is expected to argue two of the five offences were due to "emergencies", with one being when she was "very concerned for one of her children".

In a statement issued after the hearing, Mrs Henry – who did not respond to questions over whether she would resign – said: “I cannot comment on the ongoing case. I will be explaining the context of this matter in due course."