SILENCE might be golden – but not when you are trying to make your mark at your first Dorset Police and Crime Panel.

New police and crime commissioner David Sidwick’s debut at the Wednesday online meeting was initially 20 minutes late in starting with almost another eight minutes gone by the time anyone was alerted to the fact that nothing could be heard.

The meeting was told that Mr Sidwick had been shadowing the work of the panel for two years and was said by chairman Mike Short to be ‘well up to speed’ with the panel and the way it works.

“We look forward to working with him over the next three years for the benefit of the people of Dorset,” he said.

A ‘technical problem’ was said to be responsible for the committee which covers both the BCP and Dorset Council areas.