AN agreement has been struck between Cambridgeshire police and two other forces to save up to �20million a year.

AN agreement has been struck between Cambridgeshire police and two other forces to save up to �20million a year.

A “policing alliance” between Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire police forces was agreed by chief constables, who have signed up to a Strategic Framework Agreement.

The agreement looks at how services can be delivered jointly, except those that have already been identified as being delivered locally, either singly or in partnership.

By working together the three forces are looking to save up to �20m per year by the end of 2015, while they say can be achieved through “greater efficiency, effectiveness and resilience while protecting frontline services”.

The three-force programme follows the success of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Joint Collaboration Programme which since 2007 has developed 13 joint units.

A joint procurement department was also recently established for all three forces.

Chief Constable Simon Parr said: “Working together with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire in this way will enable us to continue to provide the highest possible levels of service to the people of Cambridgeshire, making sure the resources we need to deliver that service are provided in the most cost effective way possible.”

Ruth Rogers, chair of Cambridgeshire Police Authority, said the formalisation of the agreement followed months of discussion and analysis.

She said: “The authority has scrutinised the proposals at every step of the way and will continue to do so. We are confident this alliance is the way forward for Cambridgeshire and will protect funding for local policing.”