THE Labour candidate for Herefordshire’s police and crime commissioner has repeated his controversial claims over funding cuts to the West Mercia police service.
Dr Simon Murphy stoked up the election in the Hereford Times last month over cuts - claims that Tory opponent Adrian Blackshaw and former chairman of West Mercia Police Authority Joyce Thomas were quick to condemn.
But ahead of his planned public meeting in Hereford Shirehall this week, Dr Murphy repeated his claims, saying the Tories’ 20 per cent funding cuts would hit West Mercia hard.
“Eight hundred and twenty police officers and staff are going to be lost from West Mercia Force, 350 of those from frontline roles,” said Dr Murphy.
“Two hundred police officers have already gone since the General Election in 2010.
David Cameron is simply out of touch – he should cut crime not the police,” he said.
Dr Murphy’s meeting is at Hereford Shirehall on Thursday from 7pm.
