by political editor Paul Francis

Kent's first elected police commissioner will be paid £85,000 - regardless of if they do the job part time.

The Home Office, which is responsible for setting the annual salaries that will be paid to all police commissioners, has based its figure on a sliding scale compared to earnings of chief constables.

Candidates for the job of elected police commissioners will stand for election in November.

The person elected will take over the job of the 16-strong Kent Police Authority, which is to be scrapped.

The £85,000 salary will be paid even if the commissioner opts to take on other roles or jobs, including running their own business.

A report due to be presented to the Kent Police Authority today says the salary "will be paid irrespective of the number of days worked".

The government has rejected a recommendation the salary be paid on a pro-rata basis.

That has led to criticism that police forces will be overseen by part-time officials with competing interests.

One of the highest profile candidates for the Kent position has already indicated that he could do the job on a part-time basis.

Iraq war veteran Tim Collins, a prospective Conservative candidate and pictured above, recently said: "It would be a part-time role for me. I don’t see there’s full time work in it.

"Now others might see that differently - those that are desperate for work - but the reality is that we’ve got a very effective chief constable who has got a great team around him. They can do the policing."

That drew criticism from the Kent Police Federation, who said the idea the role could be done part-time was nonsense.

Under the changes, commissioners will have a strategic role, charged with cutting crime and delivering an effective and efficient police service.