COUNCILLORS in Bournemouth have agreed to oppose the proposed merger of Dorset Police with Devon and Cornwall Police. Representatives of the Dorset force were due to speak to members of the council’s community overview and scrutiny committee at its meeting on Tuesday but pulled out at the last minute. Councillors expressed their disappointment at not having an opportunity to quiz the police over the plans with a final decision on whether to proceed with the plans having to be given by the forces to the Home Office next week. Despite this, the issue was still discussed with the business case for the merger published earlier that day. Committee chairman, Cllr Michael Weinhonig, said that it was “not the best way to go forward” and proposed that a motion opposing the plans be put to the council’s cabinet for its meeting next week. Backing the move, Cllr Nick Rose described the merger as “absurd”. “It takes me 7.5 hours to get to Land’s End while I can get to France quicker. “We would probably be better off merging with Wiltshire, like we have done with the fire brigade.” The committee agreed that the merger, which would create the country’s largest rural police force, would not be in the best interests of Bournemouth.