No merger for Suffolk police: minister

THERE will be no forced merger between Suffolk and other police forces - that's the 'cast iron guarantee' which was delivered to the county yesterday.Suggestions that super police forces are needed both to improve efficiency and reduce overheads have been dismissed by ministers, who say there will be no pressure on police authorities to create regional constabularies.

THERE will be no forced merger between Suffolk and other police forces - that's the 'cast iron guarantee' which was delivered to the county yesterday.

Suggestions that super police forces are needed both to improve efficiency and reduce overheads have been dismissed by ministers, who say there will be no pressure on police authorities to create regional constabularies.

Although plans were ditched four years' ago to merge Suffolk and Norfolk constabularies, the idea has not gone away, with Norfolk claiming it is the only way to stop the 'financial tsunami' which will engulf public spending from 2011.

On a visit to Ipswich yesterday to see community policing in action, police minister David Hanson dismissed suggestions that Suffolk would join a super force covering Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.

He denied suggestions from the Suffolk police federation that front line services in the county were at risk because of a lack of funding and said it was up to the chief constable and the police authority to manage the government's 2.5% increase in support funding. 'Policing will not be affected next year.'