Manx police 'monitoring Brexit situation' closely

Officers in the UK have raised concerns over a no-deal scenario

The Isle of Man Constabulary says it's 'monitoring the situation' of Brexit negotiations closely.

Concerns have been raised about the impact a no-deal withdrawal would have on security.

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners claims the loss of tools such as the European Arrest Warrant will affect local communities.

In a letter to Sajid Javid, the UK Homes Secretary - they say the loss of key EU databases - as well as tools such as the European Arrest Warrant and full Europol membership - will affect local communities.

They say there are more than 30 measures which are used on a daily basis.

This includes access to the Schengen Information System II which contains information on terrorists, criminals, missing people and objects.

British officers are believed to have checked this 537 million times in 2017 alone.

Closer to home, Manx police chiefs say they're 'monitoring the situation' closely, maintaining any relationships with police bodies in other parts of the British Isles will remain intact.

As a crown dependency, the Isle of Man is understood to follow the UK's stance - but say ties with the UK and other jurisdictions of a similar size, such as Jersey and Guernsey, won't be affected.

However, a spokesperson for the UK Home Office says there is widespread recognition they can 'work together' with the EU post-Brexit to 'most effectively combat security threats'.

They go on to say: "we are confident an ambitious agreement on future security co-operation can be reached - but it is the duty of any responsible government to prepare for every eventuality, including no-deal."