Police chief could be forced to scrap 127-date theatre speaking tour amid widespread criticism it would interfere with day job

A police and crime commissioner savaged for planning a speaking tour with ‘nearly as many dates as Taylor Swift’ has revealed he could scrap it.Norfolk PCC Colin Sutton is due to hit the road throughout 2027, with 127 bookings in theatres in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.His scheduling includes a date in Llandudno, Wales, on February 1 and a dash back to the county the next day for a PCC panel meeting before performing again in Leeds that evening.Another panel meeting on April 29 is sandwiched between trips to Farsley in Yorkshire that evening and Stevenage in Hertfordshire the night before.The former Metropolitan Police detective chief inspector had insisted the talks about his career – called ‘The Makings of a Murderer – Double Jeopardy’ – could be done in his ‘spare time’.But he has now indicated he could severely reduce the run or scrap it altogether.‘I'm in talks with the people who promote it to see how we can curtail it or, if necessary, just cut it completely,’ Mr Sutton said.‘I don't want anything to interfere with the job that I've got to do.’ Norfolk PCC Colin Sutton has revealed he could scrap his speaking tour next year, or greatly reduce the number of datesReferring to the February and April logjams in commitments, he added: ‘There are lots of people who do meetings like that by [Microsoft] Teams or across the internet now, which might be an option.‘But it may well be that it’s moot now because I’ve listened and I think I should make sure the people of Norfolk still have the confidence that I would do the job properly.’He admitted being taken aback by angry comments from constituents in emails and on social media.Scaling back the tour to venues local to Norfolk is one of the measures he is considering.Questions were raised about Mr Sutton’s ability to serve the people of Norfolk in his role – which includes overseeing how Norfolk Constabulary is run and setting the force’s budget - when details of the tour emerged last week.He was then mocked for claiming he could meet his on-the-road commitments in his spare time.Steff Aquarone, the Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk, said: ‘Either the job is serious and requires somebody full-time, paying attention, or it’s not and it’s okay to go off and do nearly as many tour dates as Taylor Swift.’The US pop star played a total of 149 shows during her sell-out global tour, which ran from March 2023 to December 2024. The 127-date tour would take Mr Sutton to theatres across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel IslandsShadow policing and crime minister Matt Vickers accused Mr Sutton of ‘completely neglecting the job for which he is paid tens of thousands of pounds a year’ and said taxpayers would ‘rightly see this cash-generating jaunt for Colin Sutton as a slap in the face’.Tickets for Mr Sutton’s shows are around £40 each and would generate a sizable income above his £79,000 salary as PCC.He was elected in a by-election in July after his Labour predecessor stood down citing family reasons. Sarah Taylor had also criticised government plans to scrap the role of PCCs by the end of this Parliament.Critics said Mr Sutton should have announced details of his 2027 'side-hustle' before taking part in the ballot, in which the Tory candidate came second.Former Norfolk County Council leader Kay Mason Billig, who sits on the PCC’s cross-party panel, said: ‘Of course he knew before the election. You don’t book theatre dates unless they’re a long way in advance.‘He didn’t tell anybody he was going to do this before he stood. He’s misled the public, really.’Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe added: ‘If he was aware of this tour during the election campaign yet failed to be honest with voters, that is very serious indeed. He has betrayed their trust.’ Steff Aquarone, the Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk, criticised Mr Sutton for planning to 'go off and do nearly as many tour dates as Taylor Swift'Reform politician David Bick, who now runs the county council, has stood by the PCC, saying the matter was discussed ‘right at the beginning with his office and they had no issue with it’.He added his ability to reach far-flung performances ‘depends on how he organises his transport’.Mr Sutton, who retired from the Met in 2011, was involved in more than 30 successful major operations including nailing serial killer Levi Bellfield and ‘Nightstalker’ rapist Delroy Grant.A Reform spokesman said the party was supportive of the ‘celebrity detective’ and added half his shows would take place at weekends.