By . Glen Owen . PUBLISHED: . 16:14 EST, 25 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:14 EST, 25 May 2013 . Outrage: Nick Alston has sparked fury after spending £17,000 on his office . The row over the cost of police and crime commissioners deepened last night after it emerged that one of the new  PCCs has spent nearly £17,000 decorating his office. Essex commissioner Nick Alston used taxpayers’ money to spruce up his office after being elected as the Conservative candidate last November. The bill included more than £10,000 on ‘wall coverings’. The disclosure comes amid mounting disquiet over the cost of PCCs. Figures last week showed that more than a third are already costing the public more than the police authorities they replaced. The new commissioners were elected to hold ‘police forces to account’ across England and Wales, with the power to hire and sack chief constables and set police budgets. Just 15 per cent of the public voted in the elections. Now it has emerged that Mr Alston, who campaigned for his £85,000-a-year post by declaring how everyone was ‘feeling the pinch’ and that the PCC would ‘have to make some tough choices’, has admitted spending £16,952 on ‘furnishing and redecorating’ his new office – including £2,482 on the kitchen. Matthew Sinclair, head of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘PCCs are there to keep a watchful eye on police spending, not to create their own empires. ‘Commissioners must keep their own costs . down if they are to have the moral authority to hold the police to . account over spending.’ Fury: Mr Alston spent thousands of pounds sprucing his office. Pictured is Essex Police HQ in Chelmsford, Essex . Careful: Taxpayer's Alliance say that Mr Alston must curb his own spending if he is to hold the police to account over money . Last night, a spokesman for Mr Alston said the cost included decorating four offices and a conference room, as well as ‘removing the coffee machine and relocating the water chiller’. He said: ‘This was necessary to free up space to accommodate the commissioner and his deputy.’ Earlier this year it emerged that Cumbria commissioner Richard Rhodes had made chauffeur-driven journeys at a cost of more than £300 per trip. PPCs have also been accused of ‘cronyism’ over the appointment of deputies on salaries of £70,000.
Essex commissioner Nick Alston used £17,000 of taxpayer's money .
The bill included more than £10,000 on ‘wall coverings’
Figures show that PCCs cost more than the police authorities they replaced .
A spokesman for Alston said the work was necessary to free up space for the commissioner .
By . Glen Owen . PUBLISHED: . 16:14 EST, 25 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:14 EST, 25 May 2013 . Outrage: Nick Alston has sparked fury after spending £17,000 on his office . The row over the cost of police and crime commissioners deepened last night after it emerged that one of the new PCCs has spent nearly £17,000 decorating his office. Essex commissioner Nick Alston used taxpayers’ money to spruce up his office after being elected as the Conservative candidate last November. The bill included more than £10,000 on ‘wall coverings’. The disclosure comes amid mounting disquiet over the cost of PCCs. Figures last week showed that more than a third are already costing the public more than the police authorities they replaced. The new commissioners were elected to hold ‘police forces to account’ across England and Wales, with the power to hire and sack chief constables and set police budgets. Just 15 per cent of the public voted in the elections. Now it has emerged that Mr Alston, who campaigned for his £85,000-a-year post by declaring how everyone was ‘feeling the pinch’ and that the PCC would ‘have to make some tough choices’, has admitted spending £16,952 on ‘furnishing and redecorating’ his new office – including £2,482 on the kitchen. Matthew Sinclair, head of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘PCCs are there to keep a watchful eye on police spending, not to create their own empires. ‘Commissioners must keep their own costs . down if they are to have the moral authority to hold the police to . account over spending.’ Fury: Mr Alston spent thousands of pounds sprucing his office. Pictured is Essex Police HQ in Chelmsford, Essex . Careful: Taxpayer's Alliance say that Mr Alston must curb his own spending if he is to hold the police to account over money . Last night, a spokesman for Mr Alston said the cost included decorating four offices and a conference room, as well as ‘removing the coffee machine and relocating the water chiller’. He said: ‘This was necessary to free up space to accommodate the commissioner and his deputy.’ Earlier this year it emerged that Cumbria commissioner Richard Rhodes had made chauffeur-driven journeys at a cost of more than £300 per trip. PPCs have also been accused of ‘cronyism’ over the appointment of deputies on salaries of £70,000.
office. Essex commissioner Nick Alston used November. The bill included more than £10,000 on ‘wall coverings’. The disclosure comes amid already costing the public more than the police authorities they replaced. The new commissioners Last night, a spokesman for Mr Alston said the said: ‘This was necessary to free up space to