An under-fire £79,000-a-year police commissioner said he had cancelled heavily criticised plans to take part in a 127-date national theatre tour.

Opposition parties had questioned how Reform UK’s Colin Sutton would be able to oversee Norfolk Police while also presenting a live true crime stage show across the UK.

Sutton told a council meeting that the number of dates was “ridiculous” and that he had pulled out of the “Makings of a Murderer” tour after being contacted by residents.

Conservative Matthew Taylor, who stood against Sutton in the police and crime commissioner election in July, said it had been “a sorry saga”.

A high profile former detective who led the investigation to catch Levi Bellfield, the murderer of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, Sutton comfortably won the election to become Norfolk’s commissioner two months ago.

A regular on TV documentaries, he has previously carried out a long national theatre tour talking about his career.

Last week, promoters announced his follow-up series of shows would take place next year and Sutton initially said it “wouldn’t impinge” on his day job.

But on Tuesday, he admitted to the BBC that he was considering cancelling the tour and on Wednesday he told councillors he had now scrapped it.

“What surprised me and what made me reflect and think again was the reaction that I got personally from a number of residents,” he told North Norfolk District Council’s scrutiny committee.

“I’m not sure I could do 127 dates because it was ridiculous, but I could have done some. What I don’t want to do is to give the impression to anybody that I don’t take this role seriously and I’m not going to do a good job on this,” he said.

“So that’s why my decision has been, okay, I’m not legally obliged to do this, I’m not going to do it.”

Taylor, a county councillor who came second to Sutton in the commissioner election, said it had “been a sorry saga, one that erodes public confidence in those who are supposed to represent them”.

“I know many people across Norfolk have been deeply disappointed by this episode,” he added.

South Norfolk Labour MP Ben Goldsborough also said it was “good” that Sutton had pulled out.

“But the fact it took a huge public backlash to make him realise that being Norfolk’s police and crime commissioner should come before his career as a touring personality tells its own story,” he said.

The promoters of the show, Entertainers, have been contacted for comment.

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