"DECISION TO SCRAP POLICE MERGERS A VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE" - MULHOLLAND

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 11th Jun 2006

Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, has hailed reports that the Home Office is reportedly planning to scrap the planned mergers of regional police forces as a victory against a unnecessary, wasteful and deeply flawed scheme, which while it would have cost an estimated £1 billion would have done nothing to address policing problems or reduce crime.

Speaking following a report in the Times this morning where the Home Office's plans were revealed, Greg said:

"It is very pleasing that the Government has apparently recognised at last that these mergers would have been a complete waste of tax payers' money.

Despite the fact that they would have cost almost £1 billion, merging regional police forces would have done nothing to address the problems of crime across the country and would have ripped the heart out of community policing. The decision to scrap the mergers is a victory for common sense.

Well done to everyone who has campaigned on this issue and I hope the Government will now invest the money which will be saved by scrapping this scheme, into fighting crime and frontline policing."