WELSH secretary Peter Hain was yesterday accused of scaremongering MPs into supporting controversial plans for an all-Wales police force.

Newport West MP Paul Flynn said a letter Mr Hain sent on Wednesday to all MPs in Wales showed he had "lost the argument" over police restructuring, which would mean the scrapping of Gwent Police.

Mr Hain outlined why he thinks the existing four forces should be merged into one.

He said it was "a vital part of delivering security to the people of Wales", and terrorism and drugs trafficking could only be tackled by a single Welsh force.

"Wales can be confident that restructuring will mean better policing, with the current gap in protective services closed and neighbourhood policing safeguarded," wrote Mr Hain.

But Mr Flynn said claiming a single Welsh force would be better at fighting terrorism and drugs trafficking was "nonsensical".

"He's playing on people's fears and the things people are frightened of at the moment are terrorism, drugs and people trafficking," said Mr Flynn.

He said using such pressure was "vacuous, desperate scaremongering".

Mr Flynn added that the huge upheaval and disruption caused by a merger would distract police from their core job of fighting crime and catching criminals.

Monmouth MP David Davies also slammed Mr Hain's intervention, saying it was neither the time nor place.

He said: "I think it's disgraceful. It's quite obvious that Peter Hain has been totally determined to push through a merger."

Mr Davies also attacked the way the government was using the threat from terrorism to justify its plans.

"It's pretty appalling that it's being used in this fashion," he said.

Torfaen MP Paul Murphy said a new all-Wales force would maintain local policing a well as tackling terrorism and organised crime.

"There is no reason why a single Welsh force cannot work to tackle both of these problems," he said.

"We must now concentrate on working together to get the balance right."

Mr Murphy said his experience as Northern Ireland secretary showed him the importance of fighting terrorism.