WARWICKSHIRE police have officially entered into a “strategic alliance” with the West Mercia force – but speculation about a full merger has been dismissed.

Incoming West Mercia chief constable David Shaw said: “This is the right thing to do for the people we serve. The catalyst was financial but it became much more than that. This is very about providing the best policing service for the people of West Mercia and Warwickshire.

“There was a sense that this was a cost-cutting exercise but that could not be further from the truth.”

Mr Shaw stressed there were no details yet of how the alliance will work in practice, with police authorities being asked to approve the key principles.

He said: “We know what the structure will be at the highest level but we have deliberately avoided going into detail below that because we are focusing on the fundamental details of the alliance.”

There are eight recommendations for how the alliance will work: 􀁥 Each force will have a chief constable and deputy.

􀁥 Three directorates – protective services, local policing and enabling services – will be led by two assistant chief constables and a director of enabling services.

􀁥 Chief officers and an alliance programme director should be appointed at the earliest possible stage.

􀁥 Chief officers will work with the police authorities to shape their roles.

􀁥 Both force’s strategic objectives and performance approaches should be aligned quickly.

􀁥 Operational decisions will be based upon addressing the greatest harms in each policing area.

􀁥 Local policing models will be developed to ensure communities receive the services they need.

􀁥 Forces will have to meet the costs of their own area.

Cost of new alliance services will be apportioned at 69 per cent for West Mercia and 31 per cent for Warwickshire.