Theresa May denies forces are ‘on the edge of viability’ in response to Lincolnshire Police and Crime Panel

The Home Secretary made the statement in a letter received today by the chair of the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Panel, Norman Norris, and panel members, after they wrote to her expressing concerns about funding cuts to the force.

The latest letter reiterates many of the points Mrs May has previously made in her responses to the county’s chief constable Neil Rhodes, and Lincolnshire’s police and crime commissioner Alan Hardwick, who along with the panel have contacted her with their concerns.

Mrs May writes: “I accept that delivering further savings in future will be challenging. However, as HMIC and others have set out, there remain significant efficiencies to be delivered - from ICT, procurement and integration with other emergency services. I do not accept, therefore, that any force is on the edge of viability, although I recognise that Lincolnshire faces particular pressures.”

The letter is available to read in full at the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Panel website