By Ellen Branagh

REDDITCH councillor Bill Hartnett has spoken out against plans to restructure the region's policing, claiming towns like Redditch could be "swallowed up" in a larger force.

Mr Hartnett said he had argued to keep the current force boundaries at a county council meeting last week.

At the same meeting, members voted unanimously to pass a motion to keep the West Mercia Police Authority as it is.

The motion said: "With the continued improvement and success of the West Mercia Police Authority, being the best performing and most efficient in reducing crime and putting more officers on the beat, we see no purpose and offer no support in merging and losing our reputation as being number one in the league."

West Mercia could be merged with West Midlands, Warwickshire and Staffordshire forces as part of nationwide restructuring.

Forces have already been asked to submit proposals for mergers, and a number of public meetings have been held to finalise detailed proposals set to be submitted to the Home Office on December 23.

But Mr Hartnett, a former vice-chairman of West Mercia police authority, said he thought an amalgamated force would be far too large and towns like Redditch would be swallowed up.

"At the moment people know the Chief Constable personally - he or she goes to parish councils and has an understanding of the community they wish to serve," he said.

"But with such large areas a Chief Constable won't have a clue about where half the places are, let alone know the people."

Mr Hartnett also argued the accountability factor would be missing from a large force area, and he feared the focus would be on cities such as Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Coventry.

He added: "We have little in common with the big cities and the policing styles are not compatible."