EXTREMISTS could infiltrate the body running Merseyside Police if Government proposals are pushed through, its chairman warned last night.

In a blistering attack on the plans, the head of Merseyside Police Authority hit out at the Government for “meddling” in how police forces are run.

He said the proposed measures could cost up to £30m to implement which could be better spent on providing 1,000 frontline officers nationally.

Cllr Bill Weightman also criticised proposals to give Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) the power of arrest, describing it as “policing on the cheap”.

The Home Office had asked for police authorities’ views on a raft of proposals it originally put forward in July and which will be included in today’s Queen’s Speech.

They include allowing the public to directly elect the majority of Police Authority members as well as the chair of their local Crime and Disorder Partnership. At the moment MPA is mostly made up of councillors from across the city region sent by their council.

But it is feared holding a separate ballot could allow single-issue parties to whip up public support for fringe politicians, with the low voter turnout at local polls making it easier for parties like the BNP to seize power.

Cllr Weightman said last night: “These proposals represent an opportunity for single-issue, extremist or even organised criminals to gain representation onto Police Authorities.

“The overwhelming response from both local government and Police Authorities, and even the community who have been surveyed, came down to the consensus that this would be a bad idea and will have a bad impact on policing. It certainly won’t improve the public’s input into policing.

“Further, it is likely that such directly elected individuals would concentrate solely on local issues rather than balancing local needs with wider strategic and national concerns, e.g. counter-terrorism.”