IT was interesting to read Coun Madeleine Kirk's comments regarding the cost of police mergers (Slap in the face, Letters, November 4).

Perhaps she should ask her Lib Dem colleague Coun Irene Waudby to give a report at the next Lib Dem party meeting.

It was reported to police authority members that the Government will reimburse North Yorkshire Police £100,000 of the cost of the police restructuring process which the force incurred early this year.

Police forces across England and Wales will receive about £4 million back from the Labour Government to help pay for the cost of the restructure process.

I'm delighted to see the Government recognising the costs that were involved and reimbursing local police forces.

While the restructuring has not been taken further at present, what the exercise actually did was help the police forces in Yorkshire and Humber to look closely at how they worked together, particularly on vital cross boundary issues such as counter-terrorism and organised crime. As result, the police are more able to tackle these vitally important issues, so this was money well spent.

Ruth Potter, Labour Police Authority Representative, Chaucer Street, York.