Island MP thickens the thin blue line!

Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has received a commitment from the Home Secretary that funding for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary will be increased.

Mr. Seely told the House of Commons he welcomed the biggest rise in police funding since 2010 but added that, as a force, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight had been historically underfunded relative to its size.

He then asked the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, to take into account the historical underfunding of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and seek to rectify this.

Sajid Javid replied that he was happy to give such a commitment in the upcoming spending review. Police and Crime Commissioner Michael Lane was given the green light last week to raise extra money through the Council Tax to help pay for more police in Hampshire and on the Island.

Households will pay an extra £24 a year for a Band D property as part of the police precept. The commissioner said the cash will protect recruiting and training and see an additional 200 new police officers and around 60 new investigators recruited.