CALLS have been made for regional crime squads to be resurrected and revamped as a cheaper and potentially more effective alternative to wholesale mergers between police forces.

Cumbria Police Authority members Mike Ash and Joe Nicholson said re-establishing such squads could appease all affected by controversial Home Office plans to reform the UK's police force structure.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke says amalgamations are needed to improve police forces capacity to deal with major crimes, such as terrorism and civil unrest.

But the UK's 43 police authorities including Cumbria, Lancashire and North Yorkshire have refused to adhere to Mr Clarke's tough timetable for change because they remain to be convinced of the need for a merger and who will meet the cost.

Cumbrian residents also appear reluctant to any merger, as shown in a recent MORI poll where 78 per cent of respondents were against it.

Mr Clarke, who has shown no signs of backing down, is now expected to force mergers through Parliament by using the Police Act 1996, sparking a four-month consultation and votes in the Houses of Parliament.

Mr Ash said that, ironically, Mr Clarke could use the same legislation to recreate regional crime squads, building on existing cross-border relationships.

He said Cumbria and Lancashire police forces which could be merged with each other or additionally with Merseyside to create a new strategic force already have a shared underwater service and work closely together to utilise Cumbria's highly successful specialist forensic team.

"All that would be needed is a little more coordination and formulisation to meet the Home Secretary's requirements on protective services' and we would still be able to keep the current police forces," the Cumbria Council Councillor for Penrith told the Gazette.

"A lot of drugs coming into Cumbria come from Merseyside so it makes much more sense to establish a squad that can deal with the problem rather than officers here catching those transporting drugs and sending them back down to Liverpool to be dealt with."

He added that the UK's six regional crime squads which were disbanded and amalgamated into the National Crime Squad in 1998 were "ahead of their time".

The squads dealt with the majority of major crimes that Mr Clarke is eager for all police forces to be able to tackle.

For CPA member Joe Nicholson establishing regional crime squads could be much cheaper than amalgamations.

A merger between Cumbria and Lancashire would cost around £20 million resulting in an annual saving of £5 million after the first year although the Home Office is yet to say how this initial cost would be met, leading to fears the tax payer may be called on.

"I suppose the tax payer can be seen as a golden goose by some but residents are getting a bit sick of being called on, especially if they are to pay towards a merger they do not want," said Mr Nicholson, CCC councillor for Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale.

Charles Clarke was last week accused of bribery after pledging to give police forces which adhered to his timetable a cut of £125 million to help pay for mergers.

The Home Office has told the Gazette that Lancashire police was "highly likely" to remain without a chief constable until the fate of the force is decided.

A spokesman said it would be "unfair" to fill the post after Chief Constable Paul Stephenson transferred to the Metropolitan Police Service earlier this year.

He added that Acting Chief Constable Steve Finnigan was doing a "good job".