South Yorkshire Police tight-lipped over mounted section merger

It has been reported that the 14-strong team of horses, based at Cudworth, near Barnsley, could be merged with the West Yorkshire’s mounted division.

South Yorkshire Police is struggling to fined £43 million of budget cuts and the mounted division is believed to cost around £1m a year.

Deputy Chief Constable Bob Dyson refused to confirm suggestions that the mounted divisions would merge, but said: “South Yorkshire Police has to review many aspects of the force in order to meet the £43 million budget cuts demanded from us from the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Do South Yorkshire Police need a mounted division? Use the "write a comment" buttons to post your views.

“Reluctantly, that includes reviewing aspects of operational policing such as the mounted department.

“As a force we are committed to maintaining the emphasis on preserving front-line policing and explore all options, including collaborating with other forces, in order to maintain capability.

“It would be inappropriate at this stage to comment specifically on the mounted department whilst the review is on-going.”

Neil Bowles, chairman of the South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: “We've had 18 months of cut, cuts, cuts and all this is going to do is harm the communities of South Yorkshire.

“I understand that both forces are stuck between a rock and a hard place in terms of the need to save money but the only thing you get for less is less.

“We wouldn’t have had the mounted division in the first place if it wasn’t needed.

READ MORE