POLICE have successfully bid for more than £800,000 of funding.

Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police have been awarded the cash from the Precursor Police Innovation Fund.

The Government announced in 2013 that a Police Innovation Fund worth up to £50 million a year would be established from 2014-15. So far £20 million has been made available to pay for proposals in 2013-14 which have the potential to improve policing and make it more efficient.

Policing Minister Damian Green said: “This fund will incentivise collaboration, support improved digital working and enable police and crime commissioners to invest in a range of other innovative delivery approaches that have the potential to improve policing and deliver further efficiency.”

Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police will use the funds to develop a contact management and command and control facility. The funding will also enable further investment in integrated ICT communications across the strategic alliance.

Communication from the policing minister has also confirmed that a further £1.647 million will be made available to both forces in 2014-15.

Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police have also requested an additional £4.28m, which is not yet approved and will be subject to evaluation of progress and delivery of benefits in the next funding round in April 2015.

Barrie Sheldon, deputy police and crime commissioner for West Mercia, said: “Through the strategic alliance both West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police are leading the way nationally in collaboration, being able to achieve significant savings, whist maintaining frontline policing which is important to our communities.

“The grant awarded by the Home Office is excellent news for the people of West Mercia and clearly evidences the innovative approaches being taken.”