Sussex’s most senior detectives could be solving murders in Surrey under police cost-cutting plans.

The Sussex Police major crime branch and the Surrey Police major crime investigation unit would become a single pool of detectives responding to crimes like murder and stranger rape in both counties if plans are approved by the forces’ police authorities.

The move is the latest in a radical series of measures to save £52 million by 2015 as a result of sharp cuts in Government funding.

Sussex Police Authority, which oversees the running of the force, is due to consider the plans on Thursday at a meeting in Lewes, where the future of three police stations and the use of rules to force officers to retire after 30 years will also be discussed.

It is understood that the proposals to share a major crime department are designed to cut management costs, by having a single unit with a single command chain and a pool of permanent staff to cover both counties.

Collaboration would also take place between firearms and scientific support units under the plans, which senior Sussex officers believe could save them £7.18m over five years.

Surrey Police Authority approved the proposals on Thursday.

Sussex Police said fine details will not be released publicly until after a behind-closed-doors discussion at this Thursday’s police authority meeting.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “In November both forces announced that they were looking at whether they should work together in some areas.

“It was made clear that any plans should ensure the public in both areas continue to receive excellent policing and that resilience and interoperability were priorities, with any cost-saving being another benefit.”