A MERGER between Huddersfield and Dewsbury police is not on the agenda of a major review now under way.

Police chiefs and Kirklees councillors have joined forces to scotch rumours that a potential merger could form a new Kirklees police borough.

The rumours began to circulate after they first gave details about a Best Value Review across Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

Similar reviews in Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield and Pontefract have led to mergers - but they insist there are no plans at this stage for a merger between Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

The review will look at anti-crime surveys carried out by Kirklees Council, along with discussions at police forums and detailed consultations with Kirklees councillors, police employees, community groups and the public.

West Yorkshire Police Authority will also send out 6,000 surveys to people chosen at random throughout Kirklees.

The surveys will ask them how they think policing can be improved in Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

The surveys will go out in September and must be returned by mid-October.

The police authority's Best Value Review Committee will look at all the information it has gathered and put forward any recommendations for changes in the way the two areas are policed to the authority some time early next year.

The review has to be carried out under the 1999 Local Government Act.

Kirklees councillors Ian Rutter and Ken Smith are both police authority members and insist the survey wants people's positive comments on how they want to see the area policed over the coming years.

Clr Smith said: "There is no-one around pushing for a merger - and that includes me and Clr Rutter."

Clr Rutter said: "A merger is not being looked at or talked about. This is all about improving policing. It is not about saving money. We want to cut down on crime, arrest the criminals and make people feel safer on the streets.

"We want people's positive ideas on how to improve policing."

He added: "The final decisions will be made by the police authority and will be in the best interests of people living in Kirklees."

Clr Smith added: "Police in Huddersfield and Dewsbury are already good performers. We are looking to improve on what is already good."

The project's manager, Chief Supt Simon Willsher, said the survey would take about 15 minutes to fill in. It will ask people if they are satisfied with policing and what they think police priorities should be.

He added: "There is no pre-conceived agenda to this. If there was, I could not be part of it."

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