Local News
REGISTER FOR FREE E-NEWSLETTER
Conservatives under fire for 'wasting police time'
Cllr Peter Chegwyn is demanding that
Tories pay back cost of “politically-
Tories pay back cost of “politically-
Around 200 police jobs are to be lost as part of a cost-cutting drive by Hampshire Police.
One hundred non-operational police officer posts and 100 staff jobs are expected to be axed by the
end of the year, and redundancies may be on the cards. Around £9 million will be saved in the move.
"I would like to reassure everyone in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that our priority remains your
safety," said Chief Constable Alex Marshall.
However Gosport Council's Deputy Leader accused local Tories of wasting police time in politically-
Peter Chegwyn's claims follow a series of complaints made by Gosport Conservatives into
opponents' election leaflets last year which police were obliged to investigate but where the Crown
Prosecution Service concluded no charges should be brought.
"Our over-worked police force do a fantastic job in Gosport but they are already stretched to the limit
and we can't afford any more cuts to the police budget in this area. It's criminal that the Government
doesn't give our police the funding they need to combat crime and catch criminals.
"At a time when the public want to see the police out on the streets catching criminals it beggars
belief that Gosport Conservatives want the police to spend hundreds of hours investigating politically-
The Liberal Democrats are now demanding that the Conservatives meet the cost of the police
investigation, and apologise for wasting police time and money.
"If the Conservatives don't like what is said about them in election leaflets then they should ask the
electorate to pass judgement on them through the ballot box. They should not expect the police to do
their dirty work for them and they should not waste police time and money on politically-motivated
complaints."
Gosport Conservatives have also made a number of complaints to the Standards Board for Local
Government, but no charges have ever been brought against any Liberal Democrat, Labour, Green
Party or Independent councillor or party worker.
"I suspect most members of the public will be horrified to learn just how much police time and public
money has been wasted by the Conservative Party on pursuing spurious and personally spiteful
political complaints.," added Councillor Chegwyn. "Our hard-pressed police force should be allowed
to get on with their real job of policing our streets instead of having to waste time and money
investigating childish complaints from the Conservative Party that always end up with no charges
being brought."
One hundred non-
"I would like to reassure everyone in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that our priority remains your
safety," said Chief Constable Alex Marshall.
However Gosport Council's Deputy Leader accused local Tories of wasting police time in politically-
Peter Chegwyn's claims follow a series of complaints made by Gosport Conservatives into
opponents' election leaflets last year which police were obliged to investigate but where the Crown
Prosecution Service concluded no charges should be brought.
"Our over-
doesn't give our police the funding they need to combat crime and catch criminals.
"At a time when the public want to see the police out on the streets catching criminals it beggars
belief that Gosport Conservatives want the police to spend hundreds of hours investigating politically-
The Liberal Democrats are now demanding that the Conservatives meet the cost of the police
investigation, and apologise for wasting police time and money.
"If the Conservatives don't like what is said about them in election leaflets then they should ask the
electorate to pass judgement on them through the ballot box. They should not expect the police to do
their dirty work for them and they should not waste police time and money on politically-
Gosport Conservatives have also made a number of complaints to the Standards Board for Local
Government, but no charges have ever been brought against any Liberal Democrat, Labour, Green
Party or Independent councillor or party worker.
"I suspect most members of the public will be horrified to learn just how much police time and public
money has been wasted by the Conservative Party on pursuing spurious and personally spiteful
political complaints.," added Councillor Chegwyn. "Our hard-
investigating childish complaints from the Conservative Party that always end up with no charges
being brought."
CAMPAIGNS
