Ministers to hire and fire chief constables

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Labour was accused of seeking to politicise the police last night by allowing ministers to hire and fire chief constables.

A policing green paper out next month will propose centralising control over all 43 police forces.

But concerns were raised that ministers may stuff the top ranks with chief constables who share their political agenda, and local people will have no say in who runs their police force.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: 'The Government wants to increase its central control over senior police appointments, a measure sure to politicise policing and further undermine officer morale. This reflects the Stalinist reflexes of Gordon Brown's Labour party. Yet again this government seems unable to resist the urge for centralisation.'

Currently only police authorities, made up of magistrates, independent members and councillors, can hire and fire chief constables and their deputies.

Senior officers privately fear that if ministers take over this role they will be beholden to the ministers - rather than getting on with the job as they think best.

Lord Harris, a member of the Metropolitan police authority, said that when the idea was first proposed by former home secretary David Blunkett it was shelved after criticism that it was 'centralisation and interference'.

The green paper is expected to recommend that Sir Ronnie Flanagan, who oversees all forces as chief inspector of constabulary, is replaced at the end of his contract by a civilian official.

The Home Office said: 'The policing green paper will secure further improvements to policing and crime reduction by giving the police more flexibility to do their job and the public a greater say about policing priorities.

'Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary plays an important role and Sir Ronnie Flanagan has played a pivotal role in feeding into the police green paper.'