Police in Cambridgeshire have made savings of around £1m thanks to working jointly with police in two other counties on major crime, according to a new report.

The news has been welcomed by Sir Graham Bright who is celebrating his first year in post as the county police and crime commissioner.

Included in his first year achievements are a faster response time to emergency and non emergency calls and increasing the number of specials.

Also an outreach worker for Fenland and Peterborough has been put in post which means more support in listening to the public.

In addition increased technology means thousands of operational hours have been saved thanks to minimising form-filling.

Time-saving measures being put in place include officers who are currently trialling a mobile device that allows them to complete paperwork without leaving their posts on the frontline.

The £1m budget savings have been made thanks to working jointly with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Police on major crime cases.

Sir Graham said: “This job is all about listening to the public and getting things done and that is the biggest advantage this role has over a committee - things get done quicker.

“It was challenging in the beginning, setting up new processes that could support the new demands of the role while ensuring I met some very tight deadlines around the budget and police and crime plan.

“All of this happened while the role itself was, rightly, coming under intense scrutiny from the public,” he said.

One of the most challenging, yet rewarding parts of the job has been working towards collaboration with other forces in a number of areas to strengthen the service and make massive financial savings, Sir Graham said.

Other issues which have been championed in the last year include alcohol awareness, burglary and restorative justice.