Number of police in Avon and Somerset cut by Labour government

12.00.00am GMT Thu 15th Jan 2009

It is very worrying that the Tories are proposing cuts in the Home Office budget which could lead to a cut in police numbers, (EP, 14th January).

However I am not sure local Labour MPs should be so keen to highlight this.

After all the Government cut police numbers across Avon and Somerset last year by 91, according to a Home Office minister.

In Bristol we have far fewer police officers per 100 000 of the population than other major cities such as Sheffield, Newcastle and Liverpool.

Our police do a wonderful job but it would be good if the Conservative and Labour parties could stop arguing about which has or will cut police numbers the most and focus on ways of getting investment into front line policing.

The Liberal Democrats do have a very simple proposal to do just this: scrap the £6 billion compulsory ID card scheme and spend the money on more police on the streets.