Reform's police and crime commissioner for Norfolk has defended his decision to go on a nationwide tour, insisting the 11-month, 127-show schedule will be done in his "spare time".
Colin Sutton, who was elected in July, is touring the UK with his true crime stage show, The Makings of a Murderer, which runs from January to November.
The show focuses on Mr Sutton’s career as a detective, featuring high-profile cases such as those of serial killer Levi Bellfield and the Night Stalker rapist Delroy Grant.
Mr Sutton said the tour would not interfere with his PCC duties.
He said: "Am I not entitled to spend my spare time as I wish?
"It’s a bit odd to suggest I can never leave Norfolk because I happen to be the PCC.
"I'm not a blue light service where I go round and turn up at things.
"The PCC is a very strategic role about setting priorities and setting budgets.
"The time I'm actually incommunicado is really reduced to two-hour slots, which is when I’m on stage talking."
Each show lasts two hours, and Mr Sutton said he would only be unreachable during that time.
The shows will begin in January and run until November over a 317 day period - meaning the PCC will be in front of crowds every two and a half days on average.
His punishing schedule - which involves months with as many as 18 shows, has more than double the number of dates as Beyonce's Renaissance tour in 2023 and only 22 less than Taylor Swift’s 21-month Eras tour.
One run of shows will see him visit Consett in County Durham, Tamworth in Staffordshire, Hunstanton in Norfolk, Llandudno in north Wales and Leeds over five consecutive nights.
This stretch alone will see him drive almost 700 miles between venues.
The majority of the 127 shows are on mid-week dates.
He continued: "Yes, I will be aware of things that are going on in the force and I will be told of them, but it doesn’t involve me turning up and taking command or anything like that."
Mr Sutton said he discussed the tour with his staff before committing to it.
He said: "When it was mooted to me that I might do this, I sat down with the staff and officials in the PCC office to make sure we were happy that it could be done at the same time, and they are happy and so am I.
The show includes stops across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands.
During the election, Mr Sutton criticised his predecessor for “not being visible as she could've been” and pledged to do “what’s best for the people of Norfolk” .
He was elected with 32, 647 votes in an election that attracted a turnout of just 17.1pc.
Rupert Lowe, the Great Yarmouth MP and leader of Restore Britain, called Mr Sutton's tour "an insult to the voters of Norfolk".
"I am furious to read that Reform's Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner is going on a 127-date UK tour with his one-man show," he said.
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