THE Government will not intervene to prevent a disastrous fall in police numbers in Hertsmere.

The Home Office has rejected a plea by MP James Clappison and Hertsmere Borough Council to help stem the flow of front-line strength from the area which includes Bushey, Radlett and Aldenham as seconded officers return to the Met.

There will be no extra money to address the £4,000 pay difference between the Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Met, and there are no plans to match the free 70 mile travel enjoyed by Met officers.

The message there would be no Government help came in a letter to Mr Clappison.

With a cross-party delegation from the council, in April he met Charles Clarke, who was then a Home Office minister.

At the meeting, the group requested a delay in the return of officers to the Met.

There are 95 officers in the Hertsmere division, 62 per cent of whom are on secondment from then Met.

By April next year all 59 will have returned to the London force, which is currently undergoing a manpower crisis of its own.

Mr Clarke, the minister for policing, had said he would consider the matter of returning officers to London.

When the reply came at the end of June it made no mention of the matter having been reconsidered.

The Home Offices said it was a matter for the Met. By this stage another 31 officers had left Hertsmere.

Mr John Denham, the new Home Office minister blamed the General Election for the delay in responding, and said he was aware of Hertfordshire's difficulties in recruiting officers.

Mr Clappison criticised the response as lacking real substance and said he would consider raising the matter in the House of Commons.

Council leader Stuart Nagler praised officers working in difficult conditions, but questioned the ability of fewer men to meet demands.

At present there are just three community officers serving Bushey and Radlett.

A spokesman for Hertfordshire Police said the target strength for the Hertsmere division was 139 officers.

She said officers had been steadily leaving Hertsmere for the Met, but the gap had been filled by moving men from elsewhere in Hertfordshire.

However, if recruitment problems continue, this may not be possible in future.

The spokesman stressed applications were increasing and said Hertsmere would not be left 59 officers short.

She said: "There would never be one division totally down on officers."

July 6, 2001 14:36

Philip Sands