Police Cuts 'sheer lunacy' says Lib Dem

8.00.00am GMT Mon 25th Feb 2008

Commenting on the news that 56 police officers are set to loose their jobs in the latest shake up at Northamptonshire Police, Andrew Simpson, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Northampton North, has called the move 'shear lunacy'.

"It cannot be right to loose experienced Police Officers and replace them with an increased number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs)" said Andrew "It looks like Policing on the cheap. It is sheer lunacy doing this when the public need to have the confidence that the Police have the knowledge and experience to deal local crime.

"Yet again it seems as if Northamptonshire Police have got a raw deal from the Government with below inflation grant rises. As a growing County this doesn't make sense as demand on the Police is increasing.

You have to ask why both Northampton MP's failed to vote against the settlement in the Parliamentary debate on the Local Government Finance Settlement on 4th February. Clearly their priorities were elsewhere".

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The vote on the settlement was taken on Monday 4th February. The list of how MPs voted can be found on the following link:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080204/debtext/80204-0019.htm#0802051000432

Contact: Cllr Andrew Simpson

Home: 01604 634539 Work: 01908 296621

Mobile: 07973 560432 E-mail: asimpson@cix.co.uk