A REPORT has suggested Wales’ four police forces should merge, and the controversial Police and Crime Commissioner position should be scrapped.

Lord Stevens's report for the Labour Party said a structural change should be considered, which could see Gwent Police become part of a single police force. It also said the introduction of PCCs was a “failed experiment”.

A report of the Independent Police Commission entitled “Policing for a Better Britain” said Wales could find itself better off as one police force, or as part of a national police force alongside England.

It said: “The Commission found broad agreement that the present structure of 43 separate police forces for England and Wales is no longer cost effective or equipped to meet the challenges of organised and cross border crime.

“In a world of greater mobility and fiscal constraint the model is untenable. However, there is little or no consensus about a better alternative arrangement.

“Against this backdrop, the Commission makes a clear recommendation that change is essential and believes there are three serious options for finding a path out of the current impasse.”

It goes on to suggest Wales could merge together to create on police force as is the case in Scotland, for the introduction of a single Wales and England force, or mergers cutting 43 forces to 10.

It added: “We recommend therefore that detailed proposals for structural change, including the negotiated mergers and collaboration agreements, regionalisation and national police service options are produced and that a wide ranging consultation is undertaken with a view to securing swift implementation.”

The report also said the current PCC model is “systemically flawed as a method of democratic governance and should be discontinued in its present form at the end of the term of office of the 41 serving PCCs”.

It listed six reasons for this conclusion which included a poor turnout at the PCC elections, and the relationships between the PCCs and chief constables.

The UK government, which is responsible for policing in Wales and England, does not have to implement any of the recommendations made in the report.