THE new police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Lancashire is to face a watchdog investigation into his expenses.

Clive Grunshaw requested an independent investigation into expenses claims he made while a Labour county councillor and police authority member before his election to the top job in November.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it will investigate the claims which emerged in an article in a national newspaper.

The details are reported to concern mileage claims when he attended meetings of the council and the police authority on the same days, and came after a freedom of information request from a local Conservative councillor.

A spokesman for the IPCC said: “The Independent Police Complaints Commission is to independently investigate allegations made against Lancashire's police and crime commissioner.

“The allegations centre on expenses claims made by Clive Grunshaw before his election in November to the office of PCC.

“The matter was referred to the IPCC by Lancashire’s Police and Crime Panel, which scrutinises the work of the PCC, following an article in the Sunday Times newspaper. Commissioner Nicholas Long will have oversight of the investigation.” In a statement Mr Grunshaw called for an investigation and said he had “not wilfully submitted claims which I know to be untrue”.

He added: “These allegations of discrepancies, regarding alleged overlaps in my expenses claims, were presented to me.

“I have requested that a full investigation is launched into these allegations.”