Hertsmere's police division is to be disbanded as part of a radical re-structuring plan announced by Hertfordshire Constabulary on Monday.

The Borehamwood-based division will be absorbed into a new mega-division covering that will also cover St Albans and Welwyn Hatfield, in a move designed to cut paperwork.

Police say when the re-organisation is complete there will be three divisions covering the whole county, leading to less paperwork and more officers on the beat.

But Councillor Stuart Nagler, the leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, is furious about the move, which he learned about at a police function on Monday.

"We are going to end up with a second rate police service, and it's just not good enough," he said. "It was confirmed that Hertsmere will be run from another area and is not going to have a superintendent - this is being driven by the desperate recruitment situation."

Chief Constable Acres said the move would create more teams of front-line officers, and that the work carried out in partnerships with borough councils would not be affected.