A 'COMPLETE' rethink is needed on police funding, according to the Thames Valley's Police and Crime Commissioner.

When asked if the public would have to get used to tax rises to fund police, Anthony Stansfeld said he would prefer changes were made in Government funding instead.

He has called for a different parts of what the force does to be divided up and funded separately.

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He said local taxpayers should pick up the bill for the neighbourhood policing side while the Government covers big areas such as counter-terrorism and roads policing.

He also said the distribution of funding was uneven among different forces.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail after yesterday's budget meeting, Mr Stansfeld said: "I think the way funds are distributed between forces is grossly uneven.

"If I had the same money per head as the other major forces – particularly those in the north – we would have nearly £100million in our budget and I wouldn’t have to make cuts at all, in fact I could make major improvements.

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"With specialist areas such as roads, we police a vast area.

"We have more roads than any other police force and there is no extra provision made for that.

"I think police funding at a national level is inadequate at the moment.

"Law and order is critical, there needs to be a complete rethink."