Police chief calls for biggest shake-up of England and Wales policing since 1960s

Chair of National Police Chiefs’ Council says major changes needed urgently to make service fit for modern age

Police are “wasting valuable time and money by doing things in 43 different ways”, with huge and urgent changes needed to end a postcode lottery for victims, the leader of Britain’s police chiefs has said.

The stark intervention by Gavin Stephens, the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), comes as law enforcement leaders privately discuss radical changes, including a new policing directorate with legal powers to boost the fight against the biggest crime threats in England and Wales.