Merseyside Police could lose further 300 Officers if Government pension bill pushed through

MERSEYSIDE'S Police Commissioner has warned that proposed pension changes will "swing a wrecking ball" through the Police budget and lead to the loss of a further 300 Officers, if pushed through by the UK Government.

Jane Kennedy spoke out as she released a briefing to all Merseyside MPs on the bleak outlook for Merseyside Police if the Government goes ahead with the imposition of a new unfunded pension liability. It follows the recent Treasury revaluation of the National Police Pension Scheme which has identified a deficit of ₤417m annually.

While the Treasury has agreed to provide a 1 off payment of ₤252m nationally, it is proposed the outstanding ₤165m bill is imposed on local Police Forces. If enForced, Merseyside Police would be left footing an additional bill of ₤5m in 2019/2020 and ₤7m the following financial year; the equivalent of 300 Police Officer posts. This comes on top of the existing ₤15m of cuts being imposed by Central Government, by 2022/23.

Jane said:- "The Government are asking for a staggering amount of money, with no warning and the simple truth is we don't have it. The imposition of a new unfunded pension liability will swing a wrecking ball through the already difficult budget plans for 2019 and the following years. The situation is now as bleak as it was in 2015 when Rt Hon George Osborne promised to:- 'protect the Police because the Police protect us.' That promise has been broken."

A National Audit Office report published in September confirmed that Merseyside Police is already the 3rd worst hit Force, across England and Wales, having had the grant it receives from central Government reduced by 31% since 2010.

Even when topped up by additional money from local taxpayers through the local Council Tax precept, the Force has seen its overall budget reduced by 23%. Those cuts have seen the overall workforce cut by nearly a quarter; from a total of 7,350 people in 2010, down to just 5,697 this year.

Jane said:- "If this pension bill is pushed through, Merseyside Police as an organisation will number just over 5,000 people by 2022; that is a reduction of nearly a 3rd in just 12 years. Imagine trying to play a football game against full strength opposition with just 7 players; it would be laughable if the situation wasn't so desperate. The Chief Constable has said the impact for Merseyside would be 'crippling.' This is no exaggeration. The Force will be unrecognisable from the one which patrolled our streets just a decade ago. Proactive crime prevention will be a thing of the past and Officers will be Forced to respond reactively to the most serious crimes only. This Government has cut and cut again at our Police Service. There is no more left to give. Crime is up, but Officer numbers are down to their lowest levels in years. They are playing fast and loose with public safety and there is no doubt that if this bill is imposed our Police Service will be at breaking point."

Police and Crime Commissioners from across England and Wales are taking this issue as seriously as Jane Kennedy. The Chair of the APCC has written to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on behalf of all PCC's, urging her to rethink the plans and PCC's around the country are briefing their own MPs to make representations on the disastrous consequences of imposing these changes.

Drivers spooked when driving as the clocks go back around Halloween approaches

NEARLY ⅔ of drivers (61%) say they'd rather take another form of transport than drive in the dark and almost ½ (44%) of UK drivers avoid driving in the dark. Almost 1 in 10 (9%, or 3.6 million) drivers have been involved in an accident due to driving in the dark. A further 11%, or 4.9 million, drivers know someone who's been in a car accident as a result of driving in the dark.

When it comes to driving around Halloween, almost a ¼ (23%) of drivers say they feel "spooked" while driving around this date, and a ⅙ (13%) of drivers avoid driving on Halloween due to superstitions. Almost a ⅕ (18%) say they've seen a ghost while driving in the dark, and with the recent stream of horror film releases, drivers may be keeping their wits about them even more.

With darker and more dangerous driving conditions, Green Flag is predicting a 10% increase in breakdowns in the week leading up to Halloween (25 October to 31 October) compared to the week before (18 October to 24 October.) A staggering 105,400 breakdowns are expected in the week leading up to Halloween, which equates to an astounding 10 breakdowns per minute.

Over a ⅓ (35%) of UK drivers say their hometown has scary roads they avoid driving down and, on average, drivers would add 3.37 miles to their journey to avoid scary, dark roads. Leeds is the City with the scariest roads in the UK, with 46% of drivers taking an alternative route to avoid the scary roads in their City. In 2nd place is Belfast (45%,) followed by Birmingham (41%.) In contrast, the least frightening streets are found in Liverpool, where just 25% of drivers within Liverpool reported avoiding scary roads.

For those who will be in their cars this Halloween, Green Flag will be on hand to reach drivers even on the UK's scariest roads. In a joint initiative with the AA and the RAC, Green Flag has adopted the:- 'slow down, move over' policy, calling on ministers to make it a requirement that drivers slow down and move over when approaching the scene of a breakdown. The initiative looks to ensure that the safety of its members and its mechanics out on the roads is of the greatest priority.

Damon Jowett, head of service delivery at Green Flag, said:- "The roads can be a very dangerous and scary place when travelling in the dark. As the clocks go back, and in the run up to Halloween, our research has revealed the things that give drivers the spooks. As ever, Green Flag will continue to work tirelessly to support its customers this Halloween, to ensure that party goers can enjoy their time with family and friends, as care free as possible. In conjunction with the AA and the RAC, we advocate the 'slow down, move over' campaign, so that clear guidance is provided by the Government to ensure that not only the safety of all motorists is taken into consideration, but also that of our hard working roadside assistance technicians."

Drivers interviewed who claim to have seen a ghost by City:-

► Belfast = 23%

► Birmingham = 22%

► Cardiff = 9%

Drivers interviewed  who avoid scary roads by City:-

► Leeds = 46%

► Liverpool = 25%