THE chairwoman of a North-East police authority has written to Home Secretary Charles Clarke calling for talks to press the case for a single regionwide force.

However, Councillor Anne Wright, chairwoman of Durham Police Authority, admitted there remained problems which needed to be resolved ahead of any merger taking place.

Coun Wright and Chief Constable Jon Stoddart will be in London today to discuss with senior civil servants the business case for a merger with neighbouring Cleveland and Northumbria forces.

The Government says its preferred option is to merge the three forces into a single North-East superforce - a move supported by Durham and Northumbria, but vehemently opposed by Cleveland, which wants to set up a Tees Valley force by amalgamating with the south of County Durham.

However, Coun Wright is asking for a meeting with the Home Secretary to raise the possibility of a first-phase merger between Northumbria and Durham, ahead of a full merger of all three forces.

She said: "We are seeking an urgent and early meeting with Mr Clarke and hope representatives from Northumbria Police could also be present."

Coun Wright, who described Cleveland's counter-proposal as "seriously flawed" added: "We remain firmly convinced that, if amalgamations are to go ahead, the only sensible option for the North-East is a single regional force.

"However, we do have significant concerns about initial set-up costs, the implications for council tax and the establishment of an effective mechanism for holding the police service to account at neighbourhood level."

Coun Wright's comments brought a stinging response from her Cleveland authority counterpart, Councillor Dave McLuckie, who said: "There is something bizarre about their call for urgent talks when, at the same time, they apparently recognise that proposals about any amalgamations cannot be sensibly progressed until key issues are answered by the Government.

"As the Association of Police Authorities has made crystal clear, until the Government comes up with the answers, any discussions on possible options are just a waste of time."