Gloucestershire says ...

Fast forward to May, just after the arrival of John Reid, and Gloucestershire police were saying

The South West Region is 9,500 square miles in area, and parts of north Gloucestershire are nearer to Carlisle than they are to Cornwall. Mergers will be costly and disruptive, and we want to avoid those adverse consequences here.

The Home office consultants and inspectorate team were here last week and we were able to present our case to them. The discussions were useful, though concerns remain that they may underestimate the set up and running costs of any new forces.

We have presented a strong case to continue as a stand alone force, but we recognise the value of co-operating more fully with our neighbours in Wiltshire and Dorset.

Consequently we have developed a shared service option with these forces. It will be quicker and cheaper to agree and implement this than any of the merger options and we urge the new Home Secretary to give it full consideration.

We remain extremely grateful for all the support the Constabulary has received from the communities of Gloucestershire.

We find the idea of a "shared service option" particularly interesting.