A DAY after being described as a lone voice calling for a merger of all three North-East police forces, it seems that Durham Chief Constable Paul Garvin is not alone after all.

The description of Mr Garvin by Cleveland Police Authority chairman Dave McLuckie came as the men clashed over the way ahead for North-East policing.

Mr Garvin favours a single North-East police force, while Mr McLuckie is arguing for a city region Tees Valley force, combining Cleveland with South Durham.

Last night, it was the police chief who was boosted by support from a body representing public, business, community and voluntary organisations.

The County Durham Strategic Partnership (CDSP) said its support for the amalgamation of Durham, Cleveland and Northumbria forces was unanimous.

Durham County Council leader Ken Manton, who chairs the CDSP, said: "Far from Mr Garvin being a lone voice in favour of the three-into-one option, as some people have suggested, there is no larger or more influential representative body in County Durham than the strategic partnership, and having heard all the options we agree wholeheartedly with him.

"Given that the reorganisation of police forces and a reconfiguration of protective services is inescapable, it is clear that strategic forces of at least 4,000 officers are the best solution.

"That is a view taken by the Home Office and it is one that we support today."

Councillor Manton said: "The creation of a single regional police force would give us a body that was big enough to protect, but that was also totally compatible with the delivery of locally-based neighbourhood policing, which is the bedrock of police service delivery.

"In terms of efficiency and cost effectiveness, I am confident that a single force would not only outperform current arrangements, but would also outperform any of the alternative options."

Councillor Anne Wright, chairwoman of the Durham Police Authority, said: "The police authority is supportive of the chief constable's stance and a single North-East police force is also our preferred option."

Councillor Bill Dixon, executive member for community and public protection at Darlington Borough Council and its representative on Durham Police Authority, said: "The tragedy is that Durham is a bloody good constabulary and one that punches well above its weight.

"But its 1,700 officers are not enough to fight crime in the 21st Century.

"In order to have a 4,000-strong force, which is what the Home Office wants, we would have to be looking at an amalgamation of all three forces, but the jury is still out on how that would work.

"A Tees Valley force would not be resilient enough or big enough to cope with the demands it would face."

Meanwhile, Teesside JP Alf Illingworth, who is a member of Cleveland Police Authority, said it remained behind the Tees Valley option.

He said: "We have had long and quite serious discussions about this and what is being put across has the full support of Cleveland Police Authority.

"The chief constable, Sean Price, is also full-square behind us as well."

Sue Evers, of North Yorkshire Police Authority, said it was involved in consultation with a number of partners to come up with "two or three options for change" by the end of the month.

It is understood that the Government favours whole-force mergers and is also keen that the new forces stick to regional government boundaries.

A police source said: "Every force is fighting for their own survival and the battle lines are being drawn."

Cleveland and Durham forces have attempted to allay fears that jobs could go as a result of any changes.

Mr Garvin has said there will be "some redeployment issues", but has said that the force is keen it doesn't lose the skills and expertise.

Cleveland Police Authority has attacked what it called "totally unjustified scaremongering" about jobs.

Gill Hale, regional secretary of Unison, which represents police support staff, said it had concerns about the planned shake-up and was monitoring the situation.

She said: "Our concern with a re-organisation like this is that members' terms and conditions are protected and that they are treated fairly and properly.

"We would not want to be in a position of having one police force favoured over another."