David Ruffley MP has today spoken of his outrage at new House of Commons figures which reveal that Suffolk Constabulary get the least funding per head of the population in the whole of the East of England.

The 2006/07 Government allocations, per head of the population, to police forces in the East of England were as follows:

Bedfordshire £129.22

Cambridgeshire £118.34

Essex £118.00

Hertfordshire £116.30

Norfolk £122.65

Suffolk £113.57

David said:

'Once again this Government is short-changing the people of Suffolk. It seems inexplicable to me that a similar neighbouring county such as Norfolk receives 8 percent more funding per head of the population.

'This may not sound like a massive difference but if Suffolk Constabulary were to receive the same level of funding per head as Norfolk Constabulary they would have received an extra £6 million in 2006/07.

'This is the sort of money that can make a real difference to a police force- especially in the light of the recent spate of murders in Ipswich.

'I will be taking this matter up with the Home Secretary, John Reid, and demanding a detailed explanation as to why we in Suffolk are once again being short-changed- we see it in our schools, our hospitals, on our roads and now in our police force.

'I, and the people of Suffolk, have had enough- we want answers.'