More police is the answer

12.00.00am GMT Wed 2nd Nov 2005

Residents' lives are being made a misery by yobs and vandals in several parts of our area. Local Lib Dems are backing residents calls for action.

Top priority is a much higher police presence on our streets. Local police have been trying to achieve this, but are being held back by lack of resources.

Instead of giving the police the resources they need to crack down on crime, the Labour Government are continuing with their expensive plans for ID Cards. Some estimates suggest that local residents could be forced to pay £200 for an ID card.

Even former head of British Intelligence Stella Rimington has said that ID cards will not make our country safer. Furthermore, nobody in the secret service supports their introduction.

Stephen Lloyd said, "Labour's ID card plans are just an expensive gimmick.Forcing people to pay up to £200 to get and carry round a plastic ID card won't make our area safer. Only a putting more police actually on patrol will make a difference."

Local Lib Dems are pledging to keep up the pressure on Blair's Government to abandon ID cards and to spend the money on extra policing instead.