SOUTH Lakes MP Tim Farron has launched a ‘Protect our Police’, to fight for a fair funding deal for Cumbria Police.

Mr Farron and a group of local councillors braved the rain last Wednesday to speak to the public about the funding cuts that Cumbria Police faces, and collect signatures urging the government to protect the service.

He hopes to add to the momentum already generated by a petition backed by Cumbria Police, to put pressure on the government to change course.

Although the government announced earlier this week that it will delay changes to the police funding formula, Mr Farron has warned that the fight to ensure proper funding for Cumbria Police is not over yet.

Cumbria Police’s funding faces two threats – the first being that at least £11 million of cuts to the force are likely to be announced in the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review at the end of November.

Secondly, the changes to the funding formula have only been delayed by the government, rather than scrapped completely.

The purpose of the campaign is to put pressure on the government to ensure that Cumbria Police is properly funded, and that any future funding formula does not inherently disadvantage forces such as Cumbria Police which cover rural areas.

Mr Farron said: "The government’s proposed cuts to Cumbria Police are not only unfair, they are short-sighted. They would lead to the end of proper community policing, and would make Cumbria a less safe place to live.”

He has also highlighted a 20 per cent reduction in the number of Police Community Support Officers, with a written answer from the Home Office revealing that between 2010-2015 the number of PCSOs in Cumbria fell from 111 to 86.

To join the campaign, go to www.timfarron.co.uk/protect-our-police.