THERE was something rather contradictory in your report (Daily Echo 22 July) of an apparent plan by the government to review the funding formula for police so warmly welcomed by our Police and Crime Commissioner.

Just a few pages further on this paper also reported on another government initiative to cut the budgets of some Whitehall departments by up to 40%.

For the sake of clarity this includes the Home Office and thus includes funding for the police.

Whilst any review of the existing formula has to be welcomed, the reality of these potential cuts is that our police force is likely to have less money and not more.

I say ‘our’ police force, but is it? What say do we really have in the priorities set and where the money is spent?

Are we happy about the visibility of the police on our streets?

These are questions which will no doubt be raised next year when we elect the Police and Crime Commissioner.

There is little doubt the police are extremely stretched and officers have to prioritise which incident to respond to and whether they are able to respond at all.

Regrettably, this is a situation only likely to get worse.

So the consultation on the formula by which police funding is calculated closes in September.

We will no doubt all argue that the current arrangements are unfair and that Dorset is treated unfairly.

What though will the Government do about it?

Optimistically they may change the formula, but in what timescale?

It seems much more probable that all this will be overtaken when the Chancellor makes the cuts he seems so addicted to.

PATRICK CANAVAN

Manor Road, Bournemouth