THE battle to save Cumbria police from a "disastrous" merger with a neighbouring force under a shake-up of the Uk's police force structure went to Downing Street this week.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron called at Number 10 to present his 1,000-name Save Cumbria Police' petition on Wednesday (Dec 7) afternoon.

Mr Farron launched the petition after Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced the current police force structure was outdated and that smaller forces such as Cumbria would struggle to cope with modern day serious crime, such as terrorism.

The Home Office suggested mergers between neighbouring forces to bring them up to the required standard, and Cumbria police is now investigating whether to merge with Lancashire or Lancashire and Merseyside.

But Mr Farron believes a merger would result in a loss of police presence in the largely rural county of Cumbria because of the demands of urban areas in Lancashire and possibly Merseyside.

"Cumbria police provides a vital service to local residents very well it is recognised as one of the best in the country for citizen-focused policing," he said.

"We need to ensure that our police force can continue to serve the community well this merger offers no guarantee of that."

Similar misgivings have also been identified in a MORI poll carried out by Cumbria Police Authority to gauge public opinion on a merger.

Chairman of the authority Reg Watson said the results were unsurprising, with 58 per cent of the 1,000 surveyed opposed to a merger, and 43 per cent "strongly" opposed.

More than half of respondents feared policing in their community would worsen with a merger, while just 15 per cent believed it would improve.

"The challenge for Cumbria Constabulary and Cumbria Police Authority will now be to communicate to residents the reasons why a particular option is chosen and alleviate their concerns about the effect of a merger," said Mr Watson.

Cumbria police will submit its final business case for its preferred merger to the Home Office by December 23. Following Home Office approval, the merger could take place within 18 months.