Warwickshire and West Mercia Police told to remain in alliance

Two police forces are being told by the Home Office to remain in an alliance for three further months.

The forces have been sharing services since 2012, but West Mercia wants to pull out, saying it is subsidising Warwickshire, which the force denies.

The alliance was due to end on Tuesday, but Warwickshire sought Home Office intervention, saying it had not had enough time to split services.

The Home Office says it wants to ensure vital services are maintained.

The home secretary has powers under Section 23G of the Police Act 1996 to give chief officers or the police and crime commissioner (PCC) directions about collaboration agreements.

The powers are used as a last resort if the home secretary decides such action is necessary "to prevent a risk to the public".

In a statement, the Home Office said: "We are working with both forces and sector leads closely to support them and we are committed to ensuring vital services are maintained."

The forces have been sharing operations, including IT and forensics for seven years.

About 80% of shared services are based in West Mercia force area, which covers Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

In a joint statement released on Friday, West Mercia PCC John Campion and Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said they "anticipated" intervention from the Home Office after negotiations between all parties ended without agreement.

They added they "would have no choice but to respect any decision made by the home secretary".

On Saturday, Warwickshire PCC Philip Seccombe said he was "pleased with the news".

"It will give us time to keep negotiating with West Mercia on how to get a smooth transition to a standalone service," he said.

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