POLICE chiefs in Wiltshire are finalising their plans to guard the county force against the threat of a merger with neighbouring forces by canvassing public opinion.

The long-term future of Wiltshire Constabulary has looked in doubt after Home Secretary David Blunkett unveiled sweeping changes in a consultation document.

There are fears that such a move could suck police officers out of rural Wiltshire and into crime hot-spots such as Bristol - a common gripe with Somerset communities which are yoked together with Bristol in the Avon and Somerset force.

In the green paper 'Policing: Building Safer Communities Together', Mr Blunkett outlined a series of changes to the existing 43-force structure, to deal with modern policing demands, including the creation of lead forces for crimes like murder, paedophilia and complex fraud.

People living in the county are being urged to have their say and bolster the cause, by attending one of a series of meetings due to be held across the county.

Meetings, organised by the county force and police authority, will be hosted at venues in Trowbridge, Chipp-enham, Devizes, Salisbury and Swindon later this month.

Authority officials vowed to send a robust response to the Home Office to fight any plans to dissolve the force into a larger specialist unit.

They have until January 27 to formulate any response.

No forces have been earmarked for the axe under the guidelines, but Wiltshire was thrown into the arena because of its status as one of the smallest forces in the country. Police authority officials said the cost per capita of population was considerably less in Wiltshire, while its success rates at keeping crime down was significantly higher than most.