'Do the people of Suffolk really want to be thrown in with forces that are so very different and face vastly contrasting problems?'

David Ruffley MP will be holding a meeting on Tuesday 20 December with Hazel Blears, Minister of State at the Home Office, and other Suffolk MPs to discuss the restructuring of the region's police force.

Three options for a future structure have been put forward:

• A regional force covering all six counties in the East of England.

• Merging Suffolk Constabulary with Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Constabularies.

• Merging Suffolk Constabulary with Norfolk and Essex Constabularies.

Despite being the most popular choice locally, the option of Suffolk retaining its own police force has been ruled out by the Home Office.

Suffolk Police Authority last week stated its preferred option to be a merger with Norfolk and Essex.

David said:

'These proposals have been rushed through with a ridiculously short consultation period. I look forward to my meeting with Hazel Blears at which I will outline my grave concerns about the impact these changes will have on our County's policing.

'Suffolk Constabulary is a high performance force. Do the people of Suffolk really want to be thrown in with forces that are so very different and face vastly contrasting problems?

'A regional force would see the people of Suffolk sharing their policing with an area as different in geography and demographics as urban Hertfordshire. How could such a force remain as locally focused and accountable as Suffolk Constabulary?

'Cambridgeshire Constabulary is still going through massive changes following the Soham enquiry and up until March of this year it was forced to work with the Home Office to reform its management structure. These problems are so acute that it led the Chief Constable in Suffolk to brand them the 'Billy no mates' of policing.

'Norfolk Constabulary currently has huge debts. If Norfolk have mismanaged their accounts and run up huge debts Suffolk council tax payers should not be left to pick up the tab.

'I will be standing up for my constituents across Suffolk and speaking out against this unwelcome and ill-conceived merger.'