David Ruffley has written to the Home Secretary to oppose plans for a regional Police Force for East Anglia.

The Home Secretary has recently backed the merger of the police in Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire into one regional force.

David said: 'I have written to the Home Secretary, on behalf of my constituents, who face the loss of their local Police Constabulary. I am completely opposed to any move that will reduce the level of accountability of the police to local people.

'This would be a dangerous move away from effective local policing with the public knowing clearly who is responsible for law and order in their area.

'Suffolk people want to know who their community policeman is and that they can exercise some degree of influence over them.

'That is why, rather than the abolition of the Chief Constable of Suffolk as is being proposed by the Home Office, I am calling for the introduction of a directly elected Police Commissioner for Suffolk. He, or she, would be a 'Suffolk Sheriff'. This person would be accountable at the ballot box to local people for the level of crime in their area.

'My plan would improve policing; the Home Secretary's will make it more remote and inefficient.'

Here is the text of David Ruffley's letter to the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP:

I am writing to you following recent press reports about a proposed merger between the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Constabularies.

The latest report appeared in the 1st September edition of theEast Anglian Daily Times and quoted your official backing for such a merger.

I would like to express my dismay at moves in this direction. The merger of these County forces into a single regional force will lead to a clear lack of accountability on the part of the police.

This would be a dangerous move away from effective local policing with the public knowing clearly who is responsible for law and order in their area.

Law enforcement should be close to the people it is designed to support. Accountability must be retained on a County wide basis.

I would appreciate your comments on these issues and why you feel that a regional force would better serve the people of Suffolk and the people of Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket in particular.