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Cheshire Police trying to reclaim 'wasted' merger money

3rd September 2006 @ 11:11am – by Audlem Webteam
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The Nantwich Guardian reports this week that nearly £340,000 was wasted on the aborted plan to merge Cheshire Police with Merseyside Police. The Home Secretary is now said to have halted the unpopular merger proposals after virtually every police force opposed the plans of Charles Clarke, the previous Home Secretary. Audlem Online carried out a Vote Poll on the issue which resulted in 88% voting against the proposed merger. As this was one of the few tests of public opinion in the county on the merger, the results have been sent to Cheshire's Chief Constable.

Cheshire Police Authority says that staff time, public consultation and legal fees over the merger amounted to £339,767 and they are trying to recoup the costs from Whitehall. The vice-chairman of the Authority Cllr. Peter Walker said: "We have spent a great deal of money which could have been put into local policing, which is what we are concentrating on."

The cost is the equivalent of employing 11 police community support officers. Cheshire Police have been trying to persuade district and parish councils, including Audlem Parish Council, to offer financial support with varying levels of success. Councillor Walker is not confident the Cheshire force will recover the total amount of money being claimed as the total cost of the now halted mergers across England & Wales came to £11.5 million. "As we have seen in the last month the Government has other priorities which they have got to spend the money on."


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