THE region’s police and crime commissioner has been told he owes police officers in Warwickshire an apology for claiming West Mercia Police ‘subsidises’ the force.

Simon Payne, chairman of the Warwickshire Police Federation, said officers deserve an apology from West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion after he stated last week that West Mercia was “effectively subsidising” Warwickshire Police and West Mercia was not getting the most out of the money it puts into the alliance.

Mr Payne said it was wrong of Mr Campion to say that Warwickshire Police was putting a strain on West Mercia’s resources and his comments were giving the wrong impression of how the alliance currently works.

He said: “The stark reality is that Warwickshire did not choose to terminate the alliance.

“The main thing for me is that the members I represent are owed an apology.

“Those sorts of comments are not putting the full picture into the public domain and people need to reflect on what they have said.”

Reacting to Mr Campion’s comments, Mr Payne quoted John F Kennedy saying: ‘You can’t negotiate with people who say what is mine is mine and what is yours is negotiable.’”

Mr Payne claimed it was a “little known fact” that well over 210 police officers in Warwickshire were based in locations across West Mercia whereas less than 80 officers from West Mercia were based in Warwickshire.

Last week, Mr Campion said he favoured collaboration with the neighbouring force but said he could not sign up to a relationship which saw West Mercia “effectively subsidising” Warwickshire Police.

Mr Campion said the force was not getting the full use of the hundreds of millions it spent on policing and West Mercia would be now using its resources more effectively and efficiently.

Mr Campion also said West Mercia was “losing out” on some of its resources because they were “constantly” being sent to Warwickshire.