The Home Office will today receive an official proposal from the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Warwickshire police forces and authorities to create a new super police force.

But West Mercia Police Force and Police Authority will put forward their own proposal, suggesting that they continue to operate as a sole entity, rather than merging.

The chief constables from West Midlands, Staffordshire and Warwickshire, and the chairmen of the three police authorities, have all signed the proposal to merge, and a detailed business case, which will be submitted to Home Secretary Charles Clarke today.

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West Mercia's Chief Constable Paul West and police authority chairman Paul Deneen were present at the meeting but refused to sign.

Phil Blundell, chairman of Warwickshire police authority, said he hoped they would still join in time, but denied that they would be forced into the plans.

He said: "It would be a better plan if they were a part of it, and I hope that one way or another they join us.

"But if they do come it won't be kicking and screaming. That is now a matter for the Home Secretary."

Chief Constable John Burbeck, of Warwickshire police, said: "We believe a new strategic force will have the critical mass not only to guarantee the existing level of policing but to improve it, while at the same time being sufficiently large to tackle the sorts of problems that we not only face now, but will face in the future."

The Home Secretary instructed police forces to consider change in September, after a report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary found the current structure, set up in 1974, was not "fit for purpose" in delivering "protective services" to fight terrorism and organised crime.

West Midlands Chief Constable Paul Scott-Lee said that while questions about governance and costs needed to be overcome before plans could go ahead, that was no reason not to support a merger.

He added: "This is about creating something new and exciting, not about welding existing things together."

He said the biggest problem facing local policing was sustainability because every time a major problem - such as murder, rape or terrorism - emerged, local officers were taken away from policing the communities.

Mr Burbeck said Warwickshire murders and major investigations would be easier for the region to cope with under a super police force.

He said: "Unfortunately Warwickshire has suffered a recent spate of murders and major investigations.

"As a result I have had to extract 80 per cent of my detectives from local policing."

Diana Holl-Allen, chairman of the West Midlands Police Authority, said that while the police authority endorsed the plan, it was still concerned about the financial implications.

Figures show the new force could be forced to borrow £42.5 million to pay for set-up costs.

She said: "The forces are working together, it's already happening, and we don't have any problem with that, but we still remain seriously concerned about the financial backing for this."

She said the police authority was still hoping to get funding from central government.

Mr Burbeck said clear arrangements were needed from the Government about the staff who would be affected by the change.

He said: "We haven't worked through the exact numbers of staff that would be lost. But from four into one there are clearly going to be some efficiencies."

The new force would have 20,000 police officers and civilian staff.

He said the detailed figures would be calculated when the Government gave the go ahead. ..SUPL: