Commenting on revelations by the Bristol Evening Post that Avon & Somerset Constabulary spent almost £80,000 preparing for a new South West Police Force, Stephen Williams MP said, "I opposed these mergers from the start, as did all the other Lib Dem MPs in the region. What people want is more police on the ground to tackle anti-social behaviour and to reduce the fear of violent crime.
"We don't need pointless reorganisations into remote regional police forces. I'm glad that the government has scrapped this scheme but it is a Home Office mess and they should pay to clear it up, not Bristol council tax payers. The government should now concentrate on practical measures to combat crime rather than police reorganisations. Neither do we need the creation of a National Identity Database that will erode all our liberties without reducing crime."
