Katy Bourne wants to be Sussex’s first directly elected Mayor. If elected in 2026, she would take charge of policing, transport, housing, and strategic planning, wielding more power and controlling bigger budgets than any Sussex official before her. But before voters hand her the keys to this new role, it is worth asking: what exactly has she done with the authority she already holds as Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) since 2012?
On 6 November 2022, investigative journalist Alison Wright filed a formal complaint to the Sussex Police and Crime Panel. In that complaint, Wright alleged that Ms Bourne’s conduct in office included undeclared company directorships, irregular entries at Companies House, and potential breaches of company law.
Wright’s complaint stated that less than a month later, on 1 December 2022, the PCC’s published Register of Interests was updated to include four directorships that she said had not appeared in earlier versions: BlueLight Commercial Limited, Police Digital Service, College of Policing Limited, and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC).
The APCC is not a public authority. It is a private company run by PCCs, operating outside the Freedom of Information Act, free from routine public audit, and without parliamentary oversight. Its board, made up of serving PCCs like Ms Bourne, makes decisions behind closed doors.
The statutory Scheme of Delegation in force for Sussex PCCs makes no mention of powers to take on company directorships. In law, a PCC can only do what statute or lawful delegation permits. No published decision authorising these directorships has been found.
Companies House records confirm that Ms Bourne has been on the APCC board since July 2019, and has also held roles with BlueLight Commercial Limited, Police Digital Service, and College of Policing Limited. For some of these, the registered address was the publicly funded Sussex PCC office in Lewes.
The Sussex PCC’s audited accounts for 2022–23 confirm £53,131 was paid to the APCC under related party disclosures. The Register of Interests records no pay for these roles, but under the Companies Act 2006, all directors have legal duties regardless of remuneration.
Wright’s complaint also alleged that multiple Companies House records existed for Ms Bourne, including one with an incorrect date of birth. According to correspondence released by the PCC’s office, the false record was removed on 28 February 2023 after the matter was raised.
Corporate filings show BlueLight Commercial Limited and Police Digital Service both used the Sussex PCC office address as their registered company address. No publicly available PCC decision authorises the use of taxpayer-funded property in this way.
On 27 January 2023, at a Sussex Police and Crime Panel meeting, Ms Bourne was asked about her APCC role. The Panel’s Monitoring Officer described certain Companies House entries as “inconsistencies.”
On 25 March 2024, Wright published her complaint in full. It cited the Companies Act and the Fraud Act and questioned procurement practices, audit arrangements, governance procedures, and pension entitlements.
From 2026, the Mayor of Sussex will have control over policing, housing, and transport. Given the matters set out above, taken from public records and the allegations in Wright’s published complaint, the question for voters is simple: should the person holding this new post be someone whose years as PCC are associated with undeclared roles, use of public resources for private companies, and unresolved questions over governance?