Controversial proposals to merge West Yorkshire Police into a regional "super-force" were today greeted with fury.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced that he wanted the force to amalgamate with North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Humberside.

Ministers believe only forces with more than 4,000 officers are equipped to tackle terrorism, drugs, people trafficking and financial crime.

But the announcement was met with anger by West Yorkshire Police Authority members who said West Yorkshire, which has 5,700 officers, was already well-equipped to tackle increasingly sophisticated crime.

Police authority deputy chairman, Bradford Councillor Clive Richardson, accused Mr Clarke of being "impudent" by pushing through the merger plan before talks with the four forces had been completed.

Coun Richardson (Con, Thornton) predicted West Yorkshire residents would pay more for less as a result of the merger as the force's precept was less than some of the other three forces. He said: "I personally see this as elected dictatorship.

"Mr Clarke wants the police authorities to co-operate, but he is not prepared to himself.

"I want to know who is going to pay the transitional costs and what is going to happen about equalising the precept. If they want us to do it they should be paying the full amount."

Tom McGhie, chairman of West Yorkshire Police Federation, was also concerned about the impact of the costs of any merger.

He said: "The costs are going to take a long time to repay and I am very concerned about additional pressures on the budget and any impact on staffing levels and performance.

"West Yorkshire police officers and staff have worked hard to bring us up from one of the worst to the best over the last two years.

"Now we are being merged with two of the worst performing in the country."

In a written ministerial statement yesterday, Mr Clarke said merging the four forces would be "of the greatest benefit" to people in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Police chiefs have until April 7 to respond to Mr Clarke's proposals before he makes a "final decision".

But he stressed he was strongly in favour of the plan and urged the force to work with the Home Office.

Mr Clarke said: "I will be inviting them to engage closely with me to consider taking forward the option for policing which I believe will be of greatest benefit to their communities."

He added: "My vision for the police service in the 21st century is that it should be close, responsive and accountable to the communities it serves, supported by larger forces with the capacity and specialist expertise to protect the public from wider threats such as serious and organised crime.

"The roll out of neighbourhood policing across the country by April 2008 is, with the creation of strategic forces, the key to achieving that vision."

Gerry Sutcliffe, Labour MP for Bradford South, gave a cautious welcome to the merger - but pledged to seek reassurances it would not reduce the number of bobbies on the beat in Bradford.

He said: "I know there have been concerns surrounding the proposals to create one giant constabulary to cover the county."

"If it means Bradford gets a more efficient and effective police force then that is something to be welcomed.

"But I look forward to seeing the details of the plans and what it will mean for the number of police officers patrolling our streets."

But David Curry, Tory MP for Skipton, condemned the move. He said: "This Government is absolutely obsessed with size, whether in health, fire authorities and now the police.

"This is a huge mistake. The police need to be flexible, responsive and accountable and this just takes them even further from the local community, at no doubt huge expense."

The reforms follow a report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary last September which found forces with fewer than 4,000 officers were no longer "fit for purpose".

It recommended amalgamation into larger constabularies to improve the fight against terrorism, serious organised crime and other major incidents.

The proposals have been hotly opposed by the majority of forces, however, who have fought for their independence and warned of the huge costs of undertaking the mergers.

Police chiefs stress this would impact "mainly on specialist and support services".

Neighbourhood and day-to-day policing will "continue to be delivered from existing police contact points".

If a 'super-force' is created for Yorkshire and Humber, it would police an area of some 15,400 sq km and with a population of almost 4.9 million.

It would stretch from the industrial heartlands of Bradford in the west to North Sea coast in the east, and from the coalfield communities of South Yorkshire to the North Yorkshire Moors.