Bournemouth councillors oppose Dorset Police merger

Dorset Police overspent its pay and overtime budget for officers by nearly £3.5m in the last financial year

Councillors in Bournemouth have agreed to oppose the planned merger of Dorset Police with Devon and Cornwall Police.

At a meeting on Tuesday, councillors said the force would be "better off merging with Wiltshire", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Force representatives had been due to attend the meeting but pulled out.

Last week the merger was thrown into doubt when Devon and Cornwall's police and crime commissioner (PCC) called the plan "dead in the water".

Bournemouth Borough Council's community overview and scrutiny committee had been expecting to quiz Dorset Police representatives following the publication of the business case on Tuesday.

Committee chairman Michael Weinhonig said joining the two forces was "not the best way to go forward" and proposed the motion opposing the plans should be put to the council's cabinet next week.

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Councillor Nick Rose seconded the motion and described the merger as "absurd".

He said: "It takes me seven-and-a-half hours to get to Land's End while I can get to France quicker.

"We would probably be better off merging with Wiltshire, like we have done with the fire brigade."

The committee agreed the merger, creating the largest rural police in England, would not be in the interests of Bournemouth.

Last week Devon & Cornwall PCC Alison Hernandez said she could not support the business case for joining the two forces.

She said if her force's police and crime panel - which is due to meet on Friday - also disagreed with the merger, it would be rejected.

The panels are made up mainly of councillors, along with two independent members.

If the merger is backed, it will be the first amalgamation of English constabularies since the current 43-force structure was established, creating the fifth largest police force in the country.