BIG CHANGES AHEAD FOR SURREY POLICE

It could be one step forward and two steps back from the Labour government.

We’re glad that years of Lib Dem campaigning has paid off with expensive and wasteful Police & Crime Commissioners finally set to be scrapped. They were a waste of money that could have been spent on frontline policing instead.

However, the government have now also unveiled worrying new plans that could see our police service merged with those of other counties. If this goes ahead it would mark the end of 175 years of our county having its own police force.

We have already seen years of cuts to our police service under the Conservatives - and these days one of the most common complaints is that you hardly ever see a bobby on the beat anymore.

That’s why the Lib Dems are fighting for a return to proper community policing - with more funding for local police services to make sure they can get officers back on patrol and tackle the crimes that impact peoples’ lives, like anti-social behaviour, burglaries and theft from vehicles.

So we’re clear - merging forces must not mean even more distance between officers and the areas they serve.

Lib Dem MPs are pushing the Government to outline the detail of these new proposals, because as it stands, we're worried it could mean a reduction in the level of service