Surrey County Council has said it aims save millions of pounds worth of taxpayers' money by supporting a public sector partnership called Surrey First.

The group, which also consists of borough and district councils in Surrey, as well as the Surrey Police Authority, will look at ways various services can be shared.

Initially the group will focus on HR services, waste collection and management and IT.

It will also look into the possibilities of sharing buildings and jointly buying goods and supplies.

Leader of SCC, Councillor Andrew Povey, said: “In the current financial climate the priority for all public services must be to provide maximum value for money for taxpayers and this new initiative aims to help us all achieve more for less.

"By working even more closely together than we have in the past, we can potentially remove millions of pounds of costs for the benefit of Surrey’s residents by working even more efficiently.”