Crime chief Bill leads tributes to colleague Bob Jones

Bill Longmore said he was "saddened" by the death of West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Mr Jones, who died suddenly on Monday, aged 59.

Mr Jones, a former Wolverhampton councillor, was described as a "caring public servant", a "tremendous campaigner" and a "warm, committed man with integrity" by his friends and colleagues.

He was the first person to hold the commissioner position after it was created in 2012 and was in charge of setting the force budget and steering it through difficult times as it managed multi-million pound funding cuts.

Mr Longmore said: "I am very saddened to hear of the death of Bob Jones and I would like to send my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

"This is a sad loss for the people of West Midlands. He was a very experienced politician who has made many valuable contributions to the new role of Police and Crime Commissioner."

Mrs Jones' wife, Sarah, paid tribute to a "warm and wonderful man".

"Nothing was more important to Bob than his family which he loved with a passion," she said. "He was a very special man who will be terribly missed by his loved ones and I'm sure by the many people whose lives he touched in public service."

His staff were in tears after being told the news minutes before he had been due to chair the Strategic Police and Crime Board meeting. They had been trying to find him half-an-hour before it started.