Sussex Police are to be merged with their Surrey counterparts as the two forces are axed to make way for a strategic super-constabulary.

The controversial move was confirmed by Home Secretary Charles Clarke yesterday following months of speculation and opposition from police chiefs.

Sussex Police Authority chairman Peter Jones and deputy chief constable Geoff Williams were due to meet with the Home Secretary late yesterday afternoon to discuss the changes.

The police authority unanimously rejected the merger proposals, warning Sussex taxpayers would be lumbered with extra costs to pay for the more expensive Surrey force.

Coun Jones, leader of East Sussex County Council, said before yesterday's meeting: "We will be doing all we can to make sure this does not go through.

"There's a chance it could be blocked by Parliament and there is also potential for a judicial review challenge. These proposals would be highly disadvantageous financially for the people of Sussex and would result in an estimated 20 per cent rise in the police council tax bill because Surrey costs more and Sussex is relatively poor.

"Unless the Home Secretary is about to offer us a large amount of extra cash this is very bad news for us."

He added that set-up costs and IT were likely to cost at least £20 million.

The forces will have until April 7 to respond to Mr Clarke's proposals, after which he will make a "final decision" about amalgamations. But he stressed yesterday that he was strongly in favour of the proposals as they stand and urged forces to work with the Home Office.

Mr Clarke repeated his earlier warnings that mergers of smaller forces were necessary to meet the demands on modern policing.

Yesterday, Mr Clarke announced that Thames Valley, Hampshire and Kent would retain their independence although they will have to be "reconfigured as strategic forces".

But Surrey and Sussex would have to merge, as would Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire.

The reforms follow a report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary last September which found forces with fewer than 4,000 officers were no longer "fit for purpose".

It recommended amalgamation into larger constabularies to improve the fight against terrorism, serious organised crime and other major incidents.

Sussex Police Authority rejected four merger options and instead backed a new federal police structure, enabling forces to work together, save money and share expertise while retaining independence.

Coun Jones added: "There are a number of services we can share. What we believe can be created is a services company which can provide central services to a number of forces and gives economies of scale.

"That money can be ploughed back into frontline policing at a local level and to address the concerns the Government has about services at a higher level, tackling terrorism and major gang crime."