83% Oppose South Wales Police Merger

12.00.00am GMT Tue 21st Feb 2006

A street referendum organised in Merthyr by the Welsh Liberal Democrats today shows local people are overwhelming opposed to Labour's plans to merge South Wales Police into a new all-Wales Superforce.

Asked whether or not they supported the merger plans 83% of the 258 people participating said No, whilst only 14% thought the merger would result in better policing for Merthyr. The result follows an identical referendum in Wrexham, where 90% of shoppers said no - they did not believe the merger would improve policing in Wrexham.

Merthyr campaigner Ceirion Rees added: "The clear result shows that local people are totally opposed to Labour's merger plans. Many people told us how concerned they were that the merger would hit local policing, and that the plans appeared to be being forced through without any consideration of local needs."

"We think that it is important for local people to have the opportunity to have their say. It is clear now that people in Merthyr have significant concerns on this important matter. They do not want to lose their local police force."

Welsh Assembly Lib Dem leader Mike German joined Merthyr activists to conduct the referendum. He said:

"After conducting this street referendum in Wrexham on Saturday and today in Merthyr we know that in North and South Wales at least eight out of ten people in each town is opposed to Labour's plan. Labour isn't listening to the people of Wales.

The street referendum showed that 83% of people in Merthyr are against the police merger.

"Charles Clarke is hell bent on forcing the merger on Wales with little consultation, little regard for local accountability and little thought for the cost to local council tax payers. People all across Wales realise that. They, like us, do not believe a single Welsh police force will result in better policing for our communities."