Norfolk Police Commissioner Cancels Theatre Tour After Public Backlash
Colin Sutton cites resident reactions as the reason for pulling out of a 127-date tour.
Norfolk's police commissioner, Colin Sutton, has canceled a planned 127-date theatre tour following a negative reaction from residents.
Sutton, a former high-profile detective who led the investigation into the murders of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell, and Amelie Delagrange, was elected commissioner two months ago. He has previously undertaken national theatre tours discussing his career and was a regular on television documentaries.
Promoters had announced the follow-up series of shows for next year, and Sutton initially stated that the tour would not conflict with his duties. However, he later told the BBC that he was considering canceling the tour and subsequently informed councillors of his decision to scrap it entirely.
"What surprised me and what made me reflect and think again was the reaction that I got personally from a number of residents," Sutton told North Norfolk District Council's scrutiny committee. He acknowledged that while he might not have completed all 127 dates, he could have performed some. "I don't want to do is to give the impression to anybody that I don't take this role seriously and I'm not going to do a good job on this," he stated.
"So that's why my decision has been, okay, I'm not legally obliged to do this, I'm not going to do it," Sutton concluded.