Michael Mullaney, the Liberal Democrat Group Leader on Leicestershire County Council and parliamentary spokesperson for Hinckley and Bosworth, has formally opposed government plans to merge Leicestershire Police into a large regional force. He raised his concerns at the Leicestershire Police and Crime Panel meeting on 4 February 2026, warning that the proposals could reduce the number of officers patrolling rural areas and slow emergency response times in the Hinckley area.
The proposals come from the government’s Police Reform White Paper, published on 26 January 2026, which sets out a three-tier model and proposes reducing the current 43 territorial forces to roughly 10–12 regional ‘super-forces’ alongside a new National Police Service. Mullaney argues that creating such a super-authority would move decision-making to distant county offices rather than keeping it local.
Rupert Matthews, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner, has described the reforms as a ‘monstrous power-grab’ and warned they could damage the bond between the police and the communities they serve. Local critics, including Mullaney and the PCC, are concerned that resources could be concentrated in larger cities (for example Nottingham or Derby), leaving Hinckley and surrounding villages with reduced frontline coverage.
While the government says the plan will save money, analysts have raised reservations. The White Paper includes costings the Government says will deliver savings; independent commentators such as the Institute for Government have warned that the complexity and upfront costs of mandated mergers risk undermining local accountability and could reduce resources available for local policing in the short term.
Mullaney told the panel that residents want to know their officers understand local issues, not that they are being directed from a distant office in another county.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
