Home Office reports on worst police forces

Humberside and Northamptonshire have been named the worst performing police forces in England and Wales, according to a new report from the Home Office.

The two constabularies came bottom, gaining three points out of a potential 21, with Nottinghamshire immediately above them, scoring four points.

Britain’s largest police force, the Metropolitan Police also improved, rising from four points last year to 12.

At the top end of the scale, Staffordshire had 18 points and Northumbria came second with 17.

All 43 police forces were assessed in a number of categories, including reducing crime, investigating crime, promoting safety and providing help.

The Home Office previously resisted publishing the league table, stating it would be “unhelpful and inaccurate”.

These most recent figures showed only “slight improvement” of less than 1 per cent in comparison with last year’s results.

The report said: “2005/06 is the first full financial year under which forces have had to operate against targets for improvements in front line policing, as set by police authorities.

“While the results show a slight improvement, from 62.3 per cent in 2004/05 to 63.2 per cent in 2005/06, this is the equivalent to an additional 1,186 full-time officers carrying out front line duties.”

The results are calculated by the Press Association from the Home Office’s Police Performance Assessments, rating the forces from excellent, good, fair or poor in a total of seven categories.

(JM)