POLICING OVERHAUL COULD CUT 43 FORCES TO FEWER REGIONAL UNITS

MAJOR plans to reorganise policing in England and Wales could be “complex to deliver”, expensive and risk weakening the link between officers and the communities they serve, a national policing body has warned.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to set out the biggest overhaul of policing in decades on Monday, with ministers arguing the current set-up of forty-three separate forces is wasteful and leaves some areas without the capacity to respond to serious incidents.

Under the proposals, the overall number of forces would be reduced, with larger regional forces expected to take the lead on serious and organised crime and complex investigations such as homicide.

At neighbourhood level, each town, city and borough would be organised into a “local policing area”, with officers focused on crimes such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) said regional mergers would be time-consuming and costly, and warned the disruption could “derail” the wider ambition of reforms.

PCCs Matthew Scott and Clare Moody said: “The public want neighbourhood policing. There is no evidence to suggest the public would welcome bigger forces and in terms of public accountability, it also risks creating a separation between police forces and the local communities they serve.

“It makes responding to local policing and crime needs more difficult and removes the link between local taxpayers and the police they increasingly directly fund through the policing precept.”

They added that any long-term savings from larger force areas “could be outweighed by very significant set-up costs”, and questioned the assumption that bigger forces automatically perform better.

Government sources have argued that the current model leads to duplication, with forces paying separately for headquarters and administrative functions that could be merged to free up funds for frontline policing.

Ministers also believe restructuring would help reduce differences in performance between forces, with smaller organisations sometimes lacking specialist resources when major incidents occur.

A Government source said the aim was to ensure all forces had the tools and capacity needed to tackle serious crime, adding: “Where you live will no longer determine the outcomes you get from your force.”

The reforms are expected to take years to implement, with reports suggesting force mergers would not be completed until the mid-2030s. The number and boundaries of any new forces are expected to be decided by an independent review.

Similar proposals have been attempted before. In March 2006, then home secretary Charles Clarke announced plans to reduce the number of forces to twenty-four, but the idea was dropped within months after opposition from senior officers and a proposed merger between Lancashire and Cumbria collapsed.

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said there was “no evidence” that larger forces would cut crime or improve performance, warning that a reorganisation could centralise control and leave smaller communities worse off.

The Police Federation of England and Wales said fewer forces did not guarantee stronger neighbourhood policing, but welcomed the Home Secretary’s willingness to consider difficult decisions.

A spokesperson said: “Policing’s current structure has entrenched a postcode lottery in what the public see but also how officers are led, supported and treated.

“Fewer forces doesn’t guarantee more or better policing for communities. Skills, capabilities and equipment need significant investment if the public and officers are going to see reform deliver in the real world.”

Ministers have already announced plans to scrap police and crime commissioners in 2028, with responsibilities expected to move to mayors and council leaders, with the Government saying the change would save at least £100 million to help fund neighbourhood policing.

A MAN from Swansea has been given a suspended prison sentence and placed under a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order after changing his plea to guilty at the last minute.

Luke Pearce was sentenced on Friday (Jan 23) to sixteen months’ imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months.

The court also imposed a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and Pearce will be subject to sex offender registration requirements for ten years.

As part of the sentence, Pearce was ordered to complete a twelve-month mental health treatment requirement, along with twenty days of rehabilitation activity.

The Herald understands Pearce was arrested in August 2024. He initially pleaded not guilty and a trial was arranged, but he later changed his plea to guilty shortly before the trial was due to take place.

The case was followed closely by Herald team members involved in researching the background to the proceedings and tracking the court process.

Further details of the offence and the court’s reasoning for the sentence were not available at the time of publication.

Two men imprisoned and another given a 31-month sentence while sentencing for a fourth defendant is delayed for reports

A COUNTY lines drug operation spanning Chessington to Swansea has been brought before the courts, with a judge saying those involved were driven by drug addiction and financial motives.

The defendants first appeared before the Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, September 11, 2025. Pre-trial preparations took place in October, and sentencing was dealt with at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (Jan 23).

Judge Catherine Richards told the court the offending was fuelled by financial gain and serious substance misuse.

“Your motives were entirely financial, each driven by your considerable drug addictions,” she said.

Barrie Iylett, 58, was jailed for three years. The court heard he entered an early guilty plea and was addicted to crack cocaine and heroin at the time of the offence. He had previously worked as a plasterer but had been unable to work for six months before his arrest due to the extent of his addiction. His barrister said he had used his time in custody positively, was now drug-free, and intended to return to Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, where he planned to remain abstinent. He accepted he faced a substantial custodial sentence.

Joseph Billclough, 46, was also sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. He was described as homeless and a heavy drug user at the time of the offence, and the court heard he had been involved in the operation for around nine months in order to fund his own drug habit. His legal representative said he was realistic about the position he was in. The court was told he had no other relevant convictions and that, for the first time in nearly 30 years, he was now drug-free.

Finlay Price Smallman, described as significantly younger than his co-defendants, received a custodial sentence of 31 months. The court heard he was a vulnerable drug user and that he had been homeless from the age of 15. His solicitor told the court his life was “a tale which is unfortunately too common,” adding that Smallman was “sick of the life he has been leading.” On release, he plans to live with his father and stepmother in the Hereford countryside and hopes to set up a burger van in the future.

Sentencing for Andrew Avraam was adjourned until Friday, Feb 13, 2026. Judge Richards ordered a pre-sentence report due to his lack of previous criminal history and evidence of mental health diagnoses including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The court also heard Avraam was a victim of modern slavery, which the judge said would need to be considered before sentence is passed.

Judge Richards said the court had taken account of the personal circumstances put forward on behalf of each defendant, but stressed the serious harm caused by county lines drug supply operations.