With the elections for Norfolk's police and crime commissioner taking place next week, crime correspondent PETER WALSH looks at the candidates looking your votes, and completing the series is Matthew Smith.

Aged just 24 the former member of the Great Yarmouth Conservative Association who defected to UKIP is hoping to appeal to younger voters as he attempts to become Norfolk's first police and crime commissioner.

Matthew Smith, one of the youngest candidates taking part in next week's elections, wants young people across the county to engage with these elections and make sure they have their say.

He said: 'One of the biggest and most consistent complaints young people make these days is that 'nobody understands us' and this is particularly relevant when we are talking about policing in Norfolk. Well, here is a chance for young people to vote for, and elect, one of their own, who really does understand them.'

Mr Smith said he wants to work tackle crime by dealing with those who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (Neet).

He said: 'Where I live in Yarmouth it's a particular problem. It's crime as a result of lack of opportunities – today's young offenders are tomorrow's long-term criminals.'

• As a UKIP candidate Mr Smith's mandate as police and crime commissioner candidate is to:

• As a UKIP candidate Mr Smith's mandate as police and crime commissioner candidate is to:

• Be a member of the community, not just another career politician.

• Reconnect the police with people and their local communities.

• Have a zero tolerance approach to criminal behaviour – including low-level nuisance and anti-social behaviour.

• Have prison sentences that mean what they say, with more effort to prevent repeat offending.

• See fewer foreign criminals in our jails and on our streets.

• Defend traditional British rights and justice.

Mr Smith said one of his main priorities would be to ensure we have 'bobbies on the beat', saying that in his experience of speaking to local people this is their main wish from a local police force.

He also wants to put more police officers on the streets by 'reducing bureaucracy' and having more special constables rather than PCSOs 'who don't actually have any powers'.

Log onto www.ukip-gy.co.uk/norfolk-pcc-elections to find out more.

If elected as police and crime commissioner for Norfolk on November 15 what will be your number one priority for the people of the county?

We, as a nation, are facing difficult times. Politicians have landed us with unimaginable debt, resources are scarce and the money has run out. I am standing for the Police and Crime Commissioner to ensure the resources we do have go to the right place and protect you and your family from crime. I will work with people from both inside and out of the Police force to ensure we get the best possible service.

As somebody who is self employed I understand that when undertaking a project I use the right people for the right jobs and this is what I would do if elected, using the right people in the right areas to drive efficiency. Norfolk police needs somebody who can look at the bigger picture and not at things from a single viewpoint; this is what I can offer Norfolk.

By voting for me and voting for UKIP you will be supporting the fact that we are the only people who;

•Will put the victim first and not the criminal

•Refuse to pander to political correctness or dangerous quota seeking systems

•Fight to get our Police force back on the front line and not stuck behind a desk filling in paperwork

•To prioritise real Police over PCSO's

•To re-connect Police and local communities

About Matthew Smith

Matthew Smith says he is a prominent campaigner in Yarmouth and an advocate of grassroots campaigning and local democracy.

He had been selected to stand for the Conservatives in the Claydon Ward in 2011 and had been their candidate at the 2010 local elections in the same ward. He was also one of the Tory candidates in the 2009 County Council Elections.

He spent eighteen months on local MP, Brandon Lewis's campaign team before quitting. In May he missed out on taking the Gorleston seat in the Great Yarmouth borough elections by 50 votes to Conservative Bert Collins, defected from the Tory party last year – he had been secretary of the Great Yarmouth Conservative Association.

His most recent campaign outside of UKIP has been with the Save Our Coastguards group and since joining UKIP he has sat on the committee of Young Independence.