CUMBRIA Police may have to consider a merger with another force because of a “looming” budget bombshell, the county’s crime commissioner has warned.

Peter McCall said from 2020-21 onwards, the constabulary faced “serious” financial issues which could put an amalgamation back on the agenda – possibly with Lancashire, Durham or North Yorkshire police.

He said it followed new multi-million pound “unbudgeted, centrally-imposed” costs towards police pensions and a new network for the emergency services due in  the first years of the next decade.

They have the potential to strip millions from  budgets and make some forces “unsustainable,” he added, unless the Home Office stepped in with more grants.

Mr McCall said: “I don’t want to scare horses but I’m spending quite a bit of time lobbying with London because there are some big financial issues looming for us and we’re into very serious, large sums of money.

“The doomsday scenario is an existential threat to independent police forces. At the worst extreme of this we are into that kind of territory.

“Cumbria is a low crime area and if we were sucked into larger amalgamation, there’s an inevitability that our resources we’ll be drawn into the other bigger areas where there is more crime.

“I have always said I will do all I can to maintain an independent, sustainable police force for Cumbria, but I have to emphasise the word sustainable because it would be irresponsible to say we’re going to maintain an independent police force for Cumbria if we are not capable of doing the job.”

Mr McCall said a merger could only be forced on Cumbria – unless by “financial imperative”.

“That’s the only thing that would force us down that road. It would be irresponsible not to consider it if we got into that position.

“I don’t think a merger for Cumbria is inevitable but it’s certainly an option, although it’s not one that I am prepared to countenance.

“It would save money but I am focussed on delivery of service. My fixation is on maintaining officer numbers. At the end of the day, where the rubber hits the road in policing is coppers and PCSOs.

“If we start losing those, that’s when people start to feel the impact. We can’t allow that to happen. It’s a long way off and a lot would need to happen for us to get to that stage.”

Mr McCall said he hoped to get more clarity after the Treasury’s comprehensive spending review which finishes next spring.

The possibility of a merger with forces in Lancashire, Durham or North Yorkshire, has hung over Cumbria for years.

In 2014, former Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe raised the idea of a “super regional force” comprising Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside Police.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has backed Mr McCall's opposition to a potential merger with another force.

Mr Farron believes that such a move would lead to the county losing officers who would be sent to tackle crime in more urban areas. He has written to the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, asking him for a change to the funding formula to help out rural areas and to guarantee that Cumbria will not be forced to merge with another force.

Plans to merge Cumbria’s police force were last proposed by the Government 12 years ago but were eventually scrapped following a community campaign.

“I’m pleased to see that Cumbria’ Police and Crime Commissioner has voiced his objections to any merger and I am happy to work with him to lobby Government to prevent this from happening," said Mr Farron.