SOUTH WALES POLICE SHEDDING MORE OFFICERS THAN ANY OTHER FORCE

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 23rd Jul 2009

Commenting on Home Office figures released today showing that South Wales Police officer numbers fell by 105 in between September 2008 to March 2009, the biggest fall in numbers of any force in the country along with Hampshire Police Force, Jenny Willott, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, said:

"These are very worrying figures. In the last 6 months South Wales Police have lost more police officers than any other force in the country.

"The unfair police funding arrangements in Wales and the lack of a grant to cover capital city policing have left South Wales Police with one of the worst funding shortfalls of any force in the country.

"We are already expecting to see four police stations close in central Cardiff. But unless the Government plugs this chronic funding gap, it is hard to see how the force can avoid cutting police officer numbers even further.

"Alan Johnson needs to explain why he won't scrap the ridiculously expensive ID card scheme and put the money into getting more police officers on the streets of South Wales."