Welsh opposition must put brakes on police merger

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 26th May 2006

Michael German with local gwent Police Officer on a regular tour

Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly leader Mike German has called on new Home Secretary to be true to his word, and slow down the race to merge Wales' four police forces.

Yesterday, John Reid said that where there was local opposition the merger process would move more slowly. At the same time, Mr German and North Wales AM Eleanor Burnham joined local activists in Rhyl conducting a street referendum, which overwhelmingly rejected a single police force for Wales.

Mr German said: "If John Reid is serious about slowing the speed of merger according to local opposition, then he really should come to Wales and hear the strength of that overwhelming opposition. The people of Wales don't want to lose their local police forces. The opposition of people in Rhyl was unequivocal - just three people out of more than 400 were in favour.

"If strong opposition will lead to a go slow, then the strength of opposition and anger in Wales is enough to stop these proposals in their tracks."

North Wales AM Eleanor Burnham added: "Mr Reid's Home Office has already accepted that Wales is different. They must follow through on that logic and allow Wales to make its own decisions on policing, in its own time.

"The new Home Secretary has given himself 100 days to sort out the mess in the Home Office. He must realise that the police force in Wales is not broken - there are other parts of his portfolio in far greater need of fixing."

Notes:

Mr German took part in a street referendum in Rhyl yesterday. He was accompanied by local activists Bobby Feeley, Mark Young and Colin Hughes.

Of 468 people who responded just 3 were in favour of a single Welsh police force.

The referendum has been done in Wrexham, Merthyr, Cardiff Central, Cardiff West, Newport and Maesteg with similar results.

Speaking yesterday to senior police officers Dr Reid said he was willing to "stand back a little" where there were concerns about the speed and structure of mergers.

This was in marked contrast to the railroading tactics of his predecessor Charles Clarke.