WEST Mercia's police and crime commissioner has hit out at those who have described the end of the alliance between the force and Warwickshire as a "divorce".

John Campion says that far from West Mercia "going it alone", he wants to maintain a "mutually-beneficial relationship" between the forces.

He said: "The decision to withdraw from the current alliance has understandably attracted a lot of attention in the last week.

"I have seen a lot of rhetoric about “divorce” or West Mercia “going it alone”. This has been unfortunate and frustrating, because both the chief constable and I have been very clear on the matter.

"Whilst the current arrangement will come to an end next year, our clearly-stated preference is to maintain a mutually-beneficial relationship with our colleagues in Warwickshire. An offer has already been made to that end.

"There is no reason that the existing benefits of the alliance cannot be retained. What is clear however, is that we must act now to address the limitations of the alliance that are affecting the delivery of effective policing in West Mercia.

"Any new relationship would simply need to be based on a different governance arrangement that would deliver more autonomy and accountability to both the forces, as well as better services for our communities. We believe the current governance arrangement which limits the effectiveness of the alliance must change, but all the benefits realised for both forces do not need to be unpicked.

"Talks about the future of the alliance have been ongoing for some time with our partners in Warwickshire. I fully recognise and respect that they do not support ending the current arrangement.

"Equally however, I also hope they will recognise that this decision is about reforming the way we collaborate, not terminating it altogether. As such, we have asked them to work with us in the weeks and months ahead to find a new way forward in the interests of our respective communities and police forces.

"I am committed to ensuring that this period of negotiation and change will not negatively impact our local police service in West Mercia."