SURREY'S new Police and Crime Commissioner is urging the Government to protect the county forces' funding levels and to carry out a review of the formula used to allocate funding to forces nationwide.

In a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Home Secretary, Kevin Hurley hit out at the suggestion from areas such as West Midlands that Surrey should shoulder more cuts to help protect them from the impact of the recession.

He wrote: "Surrey gives more to the Exchequer in taxes than any other county, yet Surrey Police only receives around half of its funding from the Government, compared to West Midlands Police which receives 87 per cent," pointing out that Surrey residents have to make up that difference by paying more in council tax.

For full story, see this week's Haslemere Herald.