Criminals 'travel to leafy area'

The government was told Surrey faced "important security considerations"

Police in Surrey need more money to fight criminals, including those who travel into the county from London, Tory peers have said.

It follows a government ruling which led to Surrey Police Authority's 2009/10 budget being capped.

Tory former minister Lord Trefgarne said the county faced "important security considerations".

But Home Office minister Lord West of Spithead said Surrey had "done well" in its funding, receiving an extra £3.8m.

Surrey Police Authority was this year allowed to keep to a 6% budget increase and stick to its £191.5m budget for 2008/09.

But a cap imposed by the government will restrict its budget to £189.6m for 2009/10.

'Criminal element'

Lord Trefgarne said: "Surrey is not really the leafy, law-abiding county that many people imagine.

"There are some very important security considerations in that county."

And former Tory cabinet minister Lord Howell of Guildford, former MP for the town, added: "Surrey is not an island surrounded by sea, it is actually bang up against London from which a large number of the criminal element of southern London descend into Surrey.

"I hope this is taken into account in assessing proper funding to enable law and order to be maintained in that very pleasant county."

Home Office minister Lord West said: "I think overall Surrey has done quite well.

"It received £3.8m more in grant in 2009/10 than it would have done by a strict application of the rules because we did meet some of these issues."