DORSET'S new Police Federation chairman, former Beaminster bobby Clive Chamberlain, has hit out at a lack of funding which penalises rural areas.

Pc Chamberlain, who represents all ranks up to Chief Inspector, said: "It's quite clear that numbers of police officers have not increased to keep up with demand. This year's budget settlement was disappointing to say the least and demonstrates a shameful disregard by central government for rural police forces."

"To ignore rural areas is not being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime - it's tantamount to aiding and abetting criminals. The crime problems of the cities are mirrored in the rural areas. Rural areas suffer from burglaries, from drugs, from car thieves, from spontaneous disorder and all the problems that confront city and urban police forces."

"At a time when the demands on Dorset Police officers are at an all time high the Government should be concentrating on boosting the visible police presence across the county."

Pc Chamberlain, 43, is married with three young children and lives in Beaminster. He succeeds Insp Paul Boundy who is retiring soon, and is the first Constable to be appointed to this key position for many years. He joined Dorset Police in 1980.

After completing his initial training at Chantmarle in West Dorset, Clive was posted to Swanage where he remained until a move to Weymouth in 1984 to become the town's community beat officer. Following a short spell at Dorchester, Clive was posted to Beaminster in 1991 and remained there, as the community beat officer, until he took up his new post at Dorset Police's headquarters at Winfrith.

He said: "I feel honoured to have been elected to represent my colleagues and see it as a great privilege. I want to place on record my support for the Chief Constable and the police authority in their attempts to secure fair funding for policing in the county and to increase the number of officers."