The police authority said it was concerned about merger plans

The proposals would see it join up with Manchester or Merseyside, ending 150 years of county policing tradition.

It follows a report by the Inspectorate of Constabulary which suggested mergers to improve efficiency in the police.

Charles Clarke had been set to announce the government's preferred on Friday, but it was released a day early.

Identity concerns

The Home Office says it will consider two options.

The first would see Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside merged with Cheshire joining Greater Manchester Police.

While the second would see Cumbria and Lancashire form a new force, Cheshire and Merseyside form another with Greater Manchester unscathed.

A Home Office spokeswoman had said no details would be released before his written ministerial statement on Friday.

But details of the merger options being considered by the government were revealed by the Cheshire Police Authority on Thursday.

Chairman Peter Nurse disagreed with the plans, saying he could not see how a merger would "sufficiently enhance policing for the people of Cheshire".

'Significant challenge'

"Whichever force we eventually merge with, the maintenance of a Cheshire identity, protecting the interests of Cheshire people, is paramount in our concerns," he said.

"The Home Secretary now appears to be directing what will happen to policing in Cheshire, leaving us with little time to find out what the public of Cheshire want."

But Mr Clarke's statement said: "The changing nature of crime poses a significant challenge for the police.

"The modern threats we face from terrorism and international crime do not respect established local borders."