MPs in pledge to fight police funding cuts

11:10am Friday 5th October 2007

THE Press launched its Fund Our Force campaign after North Yorkshire Police revealed that the force's grant from the Government could be cut by up to £10 million under a new funding formula.

Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell warned that if the cut went ahead, the consequences could be devastating. The reduction equated to 300 officers, he said.

MPs from across North Yorkshire put aside political differences and pledged to fight the cuts tooth and nail.

The newspaper swiftly launched a petition calling on Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to retain adequate funding for the force, and abandon plans which could mean a £10 million grant cut.

Our campaign has won immediate support from ordinary bobbies, with their representative organisation, the Police Federation, claiming that the cuts would have "potentially catastrophic" consequences.

The public has also thrown its support behind the campaign, with hundreds sending coupons back to the paper, signing the petition online and also signing forms at a stall in Parliament Street. Many retailers who sell The Press have today been asked to put the petition forms on their counters for customers to sign.

But time is tight. The Government is out to consultation on its proposals but the deadline for responses is next Wednesday, and The Press wants to hand over a dossier of petition forms and articles by that date.

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