Letter: Shropshire Star

Clarke not taking any notice of public view

Carolyn McDonald says that I am wrong to say that Charles Clarke is ignoring the views of the public over the merger of police forces.

She goes on to say that "Most people don't care whether their police force is run from Worcester or from Birmingham".

Given that 92 per cent of people who took part in West Mercia's polls were opposed to the merger, I rather think that they do care.

Charles Clarke also plans to merge the four Welsh forces into one large force despite massive public opposition and the opposition of all four forces.

Despite this he has said that he will force through the merger of the Welsh forces and the merger of West Midlands and Went Mercia. How exactly is that taking notice of the wishes of the public? Regional police forces are nothing to do with fighting crime, they are part of Labour's regional agenda.

The EC dictated years ago that England would be divided into nine regions and that each of those regions would have regional government.

Planning, transport, environment, health and many other aspects of our lives are already controlled by the unelected and unaccountable West Midlands Regional Assembly (WMRA),

The ambulance and fire services are now regionally controlled and soon Charles Clarke will force a regional police force on to us.

How long do you think it will be before WMRA controls the emergency services from Birmingham as well?

If the other three forces in the West Midlands want to merge then let them.
West Mercia has the best performing force in the UK, let's keep it that way.

Stuart Parr
Telford