The Prime Minister has apologised to the forces

Cumbria Police Authority challenged Tony Blair over comments he made during Prime Minister's Question Time about the collapsed merger with Lancashire.

Now Mr Blair has written to the authorities saying he is "very sorry" if his remarks had been misinterpreted.

The authority chairman, Reg Watson, said Mr Blair had been "very fair".

Lancashire and Cumbria were the only two police forces to mutually agree on a proposed merger.

But they backed out of the move earlier this month after a meeting with Police Minister Tony McNulty, during which all sides were unable to resolve details of the plan.

'Fully co-operative'

Mr Blair wrote: "I am well aware of how hard you have worked to try and make the merger between Cumbria and Lancashire happen.

"I regret that we were unable to resolve the precept issue in such a way as would have enabled the merger to go ahead.

"I am very sorry if my remarks have been interpreted as implying that Cumbria and Lancashire had been anything less than fully-co-operative in trying to bring about the merger of the two police forces."

Mr Watson said the authorities accepted the apology.