THE County Durham Labour Party has backed plans for a single regionwide police force.

The party says that creating one superforce, by amalgamating the Durham, Northumberland and Cleveland forces, would be better than the alternative put forward by Cleveland Police that would see the south of County Durham policed by the Teesside-based force.

Party secretary Mac Williams, who is chairman of North Durham Magistrates, said the party backed Durham Chief Constable Paul Garvin's support for a superforce.

"Having considered all the options, it is clear that strategic forces of at least 4,000 officers are the best solution," he said.

"The call to reorganise policing in the region should be viewed as an opportunity, rather than a threat.

"The real threat is if we don't get the configuration right, and our view is that a single regional force is the right one for the region.

"There is a mistaken perception in some quarters that the south of County Durham is in some way - either geographically or politically - closer to the Tees Valley area and can therefore easily be detached from the north of the county and absorbed in a new Tees Valley 'city region' force.

"Politically, this is not the case. The county Labour Party, as its name suggests, represents the whole of County Durham, and is firmly against any such division.

"Geographically, people living in the south of Durham would be outraged at the thought of the county being split up in any way and being treated any differently from those living in the north."