Objections in Essex and the West Midlands

Essex police announced a public consultation. The Essex Police Authority are considering a legal challenge. The chairman said he believed a stand-alone Essex force could give the public what it wanted with more officers on the beat, increased arrests, and good quality service provided when people called for help. But if the public was in favour of the merger, then he would respect that opinion.

West Mercia Police confirmed they were seeking a judicial review over plans to merge with the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Warwickshire forces. Four West Midlands councils have begun judicial proceedings opposing the merger proposals because they fear a 40% rise in council tax to pay for them.

The chief constables of West Midlands and Warwickshire approve the merger plans, reports the Coventry Evening Telegraph, but the West Midlands Police Authority, which oversees the force, says they have been marched through with "indecent haste".