Joining forces

This is why, for all the importance of Yorkshire's four police forces retaining their local identities, initiatives such as the creation of a cross-border regional crime unit are crucial.

Considering Yorkshire's position on the motorway network, and the number of air and sea ports within the region, it is all too understandable that its role in the movement of drugs, guns and dirty money is growing.

What is most worrying, however, is that Home Office funding for the new unit is guaranteed for only a year. In spite of reassurances that the new team is here to stay, the fact that police funding is expected to be a prime candidate of post-election cuts is a cause for grave concern.

The region's police forces are doing their best to adapt themselves to the demands of 21st-century crime-fighting and it is vital that they get the necessary encouragement and support.