KIRKLEES Council's leader today denied a claim that she had agreed to a merger of Huddersfield and Dewsbury police forces.
Clr Kath Pinnock spoke out after a public meeting heard she had given her backing.
West Yorkshire police Deputy Chief Constable Phillip Brear said Clr Pinnock and former council chief executive Tony Elson had agreed the merger was a good idea 18-months ago.
At a meeting at Dewsbury Town Hall attended by a handful of the public he said: "In the very early days we asked the leader and the chief executive if they should have one division or two. They both said it would be better to have one."
Today Clr Pinnock said the assistant chief constable must have "misremembered".
She said: "We had a meeting at which this was raised among lots of issues.
"My reaction then - as it is now - was that the merger could only be justified if the police retained the trust and confidence of the people of Kirklees with their proposal, which is something they have singularly failed to do."
Councillors at the public meeting across all parties made their opposition to the merger known but Dep Chief Con Brear said he was convinced the merger would be passed by Police Authority members at its meeting in Wakefield on Friday.
And he said the merger was not a cost cutting exercise and would improve policing in Kirklees.
"We have consulted a lot of people across Kirklees and those results suggest support for one division.
"I am promising better policing if the merger happens."
After the meeting he told the Examiner he did not think the small turnout meant people did not care about the merger.
"I have been given two petitions and I think people do care greatly about getting better policing.
"That is what the merger will offer. The money we will save in Kirklees by not doing everything twice will go back in to making it a safe place.
"There is a belief that Huddersfield is getting priority here but that is not true. Dewsbury, Batley, Mirfield and the Spen Valley will get better service."
