Charlotte Leslie was interviewed on BBC Radio Bristol at Southmead police station

BBC Radio Bristol is today broadcasting 13 hours of live programmes from Southmead. Today is six months to the day since a Panorama documentary portrayed the estate in a very unflattering light, as two undercover Asian reporters were subjected to several incidents of racism and anti-social behaviour.

Although the problems cannot be ignored, many Southmead residents interviewed on the radio such as Corinne Nesbit from Nez Cafe on Southmead Road said that there is a strong community spirit on the estate.

This morning, the Breakfast with Steve Le Fevre show came from Southmead police station. Charlotte Leslie, prospective Conservative MP for Bristol North West, joined her fellow candidates in the constituency, which encompasses Southmead, to debate specifically about the issue of law and order.

If the Conservative party gets elected, a key priority would be to introduce elected police commissioners, following the American model, which would see one person responsible for setting key priorities.

Speaking to Steve Le Fevre, Charlotte Leslie said: “There is currently a huge amount of confusion about who people go to, who is setting their targets. A single figurehead would do an awful lot to simplify who is setting the figures.

“We need an individual to make sure that the reality is getting better, not just the statistics and targets. That’s what an individual would do.”

She also raised concerns about misleading people with uncosted promises, questioning how the Liberal Democrat promise to spend money spent on ID cards could fund more frontline police, if it was also allocated in other policy documents to be spent on rehabilitation centres and probation services.

For the rest of today, BBC Radio Bristol will be broadcasting from Southmead Community Centre, Southmead Youth Centre, Nez Cafe and the Bear & Rugged Staff.