Defeat for Lord Prescott was the biggest shock of the first elections for police commissioners in England and Wales yesterday, which were marred by a dismally-low voter turnout.

The former deputy prime minister was dumped out in a run-off with Conservative Matthew Grove in Humberside, where the Labour peer was an MP in Hull for many years.

It took the Tories’ total to 14 of the 41 new posts, with Labour on 12. But there was a strong showing of nine independents, as many of those who did vote turned away from mainstream parties.

Among those were surprise wins for former judge Winston Roddick in North Wales and ex-detective chief inspector Martyn Underhill, who was successful in Dorset.

But the declarations were notable as much for the record-low numbers of voters taking part as for the victors themselves, leading a watchdog to order a review.

Fewer than one in five made it to polling stations to choose from candidates for the new £100,000-a-year posts yesterday – with one recording not a single voter all day.

The Electoral Commission said it was “a concern for everyone who cares about democracy”, complaining that the Government had ignored warnings of a potential stay-away. Ministers have been accused of failing properly to promote the poll.

Prime Minister David Cameron rejected claims that the turnout undermined the mandate to run local forces, with powers over policing priorities, budget and hiring and firing chief constables.

Once the new generation of “local law and order champions” got to work, the public would come to appreciate the innovation and turnout would be “much higher” next time, he predicted. (AP)