The mergers were suggested in order to improve efficiency

The home secretary has announced plans to merge Cheshire Police with Greater Manchester or Merseyside, ending 150 years of county policing tradition.

Authorities and forces are expected to present their preferred option to the Home Secretary by Christmas.

In a letter to Charles Clarke, Cheshire Police Authority chairman Peter Nurse called the timetable "absurd".

"Restructuring policing with such haste and without considering the long-term implications is dangerous and not in the interests of the people of Cheshire," he said.

"Why have we not been afforded the opportunity to have a proper debate and assessment of what structures are required?"

Restructuring policing with such haste and without considering the long-term implications is dangerous Cheshire Police Authority chairman Peter Nurse

Labour councillor Mr Nurse has urged the home ecretary to review the timescales for the restructuring, saying more time was needed to do the job properly.

"Your timetable is so absurd that it is impossible for us to have a meaningful dialogue with our communities," he said.

"I think we all accept that there is a need to review the system of policing in this country.

"Cheshire must be one of the few forces in the country which has no other option than to merge with a large metropolitan and urban neighbour, and this will inevitably cause a lot of concern and disquiet in our communities that policing will become, by necessity, very urban centric.

Two options

"Surely a longer time span to develop proposals would have enabled us to consider more carefully links with, for example, North Wales Police, with whom we already undertake significant collaborative working.

"Restructuring policing with such haste and without considering the long-term implications is dangerous and not in the interests of the people of Cheshire."

The proposals follow a report by the Inspectorate of Constabulary which suggested mergers to improve efficiency in the police.

The Home Office has said it will consider two options.

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

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