LABOUR MP Mike Foster has questioned the credibility of radical Tory plans to increase police in Worcestershire by scrapping the Government's asylum system.

Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith wants to introduce a strict quota on the number of immigrants allowed to enter Britain - saving up to £1.7bn per year.

The Tories would spend a significant chunk of the cash on recruiting new police officers.

According to central office, the number of officers in West Mercia would increase by 594 - from 2,058 to 2,652 - over an eight-year period.

However, Worcester MP Mike Foster suggested the plans should be taken with a "bucket of salt".

"I don't give too much credibility to asylum seeker plans suggested by the Opposition," he said. "In office they were the cause of the mess and did nothing to deal with the situation as it became worse."

And Mr Foster emphasised that the region's police force was in its best-ever shape.

"At the moment West Mercia has record levels of police," he added.

"It has more officers than it has ever had since it was formed in 1967.

"The Opposition is on record as saying that it is looking for 20 per cent cuts in all departmental spending so to promise extra police is disingenuous to say the least."

The Conservative policy intends to win votes by coupling two regular complaints from the public - chaos in the asylum system and a lack of visible policing.

Last year, the number of asylum seekers entering Britain was a record 110,000. Mr Duncan Smith would set a fixed quota of 20,000 to remain in the UK each year.

He would also establish a system based on determining applications before they reach Britain.

Officials believe this would save between £1.4bn and £1.7bn per year in processing, legal expenses and support costs.

"If we are to tackle criminality and disorder effectively, we need far more police officers for West Mercia than are currently being proposed by the Government," said a Tory spokesman.

"An effective system of neighbourhood policing is vital to reclaiming our streets across the area for the honest citizen."

West Mercia Constabulary said it would be inappropriate to comment on a political issue.