by political editor Paul Francis

Kent will have an elected police commissioner with wide-ranging powers over one of the country's largest forces by 2012 under government plans to scrap police authorities.

The elected commissioner will take on all the key duties of the 17-strong Kent Police Authority - including the power to hire and fire the chief constable and set budgets.

The scrapping of the country's 43 police authorities and their replacement with powerful elected chiefs, who could be politicians, represents one of the biggest upheavals in policing in decades.

Home Secretary Theresa May unveiled details of the plans yesterday in a government White Paper. She said replacing "invisible police authorities" with elected commissioners would forge a direct link between the police and the public and replace bureaucracy with democratic accountability.

But her plans have been questioned by some who fear the proposals will lead to elected commissioners pursuing political agendas, rather than focusing on effective policing.

The Local Government Association said the elections would cost in the region of £50m - enough for 700 police officers.

Cllr Ian Chittenden, a Liberal Democrat member of the Kent Police Authority, said he was concerned that there could be too few checks and balances.

"I have grave reservations about ane elected commissioner to run Kent Police and how they are going to be chosen. I wonder how one individual will be able to monitor performance and do what we currently do. I cannot see how scrutiny is going to be as effective."

He added: "Are we going to make the police party political? We have had issues with Boris Johnson and the Met Police and I think we could have similar issues."

Elections will happen in May 2012, with commissioners standing for a four-year stint and a maximum of two terms. There will be monitoring panels to hold commissioners to account, but their make-up is not yet clear.