Report recommends cutting police forces in England to as few as nine
Review by former Met commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe; 43-force model has been accused of being too slow, but some chief constables express scepticism
An official review by former Metropolitan Police commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has concluded that the number of police forces in England should be cut from 39 to as few as nine. The review, completed in September and sent to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, is expected to be published before Christmas, with a white paper due in the new year.