WELWYN Hatfield MP Grant Shapps is claiming victory in his campaign to stop Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire police forces merging.

WELWYN Hatfield MP Grant Shapps said the Hertfordshire Police Authority “got it spot on” when it decided not to go ahead with plans to merge the county police force with Bedfordshire.

Authority members voted against putting merger plans out to public consultation on Friday, saying more work needs to be done into deeper collaboration with Bedfordshire instead.

Mr Shapps, who set up the Keep Police Local campaign last year, which opposed the merger plans, said: “I think that the police authority have got this spot on.

“Rather than spending millions pointlessly merging Herts and Beds police forces and abolishing our Herts Chief Constable, it makes far more sense to work together, while still maintaining separate individuals who are answerable to the public.

“They can go much further merging back office functions and sharing premises, even with non police public bodies, before they need to envisage merged police forces.

“This confirmation that the police authority will not back the merger is a major boost for the popular KeepPoliceLocal.com campaign that I established last year.”