Job losses warning as police face up to £50m cuts

Chief constables are preparing to wield the axe on staffing levels, vehicle fleets, overtime pay and maintenance costs to plug a five per cent budget shortfall.

Described as "dangerous" by one Yorkshire MP, the cuts have been demanded by the coalition Government as it strives to reduce the national deficit.

They will heap more pressure on senior officers at all four Yorkshire forces, who are already working closer together than ever before to save money.

Funding for Yorkshire's police forces is expected to fall from more than 1bn in 2010-11 to less than 970m in 2013-14, a cut of 4.9 per cent.

South Yorkshire's budget is likely to shrink by 5.6 per cent, while West Yorkshire (5.5 per cent), Humberside (4.5 per cent) and North Yorkshire (1.8 per cent) will also be badly hit.

Policing Minister Nick Herbert has slashed a total of 11.4m from the forces' grants for this year, and further cuts could come in the emergency Budget on June 22, along with a departmental spending review in the autumn.

The chairman of West Yorkshire Police Authority, Mark Burns-Williamson, said he had discussed the position with the West Yorkshire Police chief constable, Sir Norman Bettison, and admitted he was worried about the impact on policing of the scale of savings required.

In 2010-11 alone the force intends to recruit 60 fewer police officers, to cut its vehicle fleet by 40 and to spend 200,000 less on overtime payments.

Mr Burns-Williamson said: "We are aware that there are difficult times ahead and we are working hard with the force to look at where savings can be made."

West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Humberside agreed last year to support each other more on major operations and to standardise "back office" functions but further collaboration is likely.

Mr Burns-Williamson, said: "We are anticipating a pretty tough time overall.

"Inevitably as we collaborate further and we look to provide support services on a more regional level, there will be a reduction in staff carrying out those jobs. That is the trend I see progressing."

York Central MP Hugh Bayley has branded the Government cuts as "dangerous" and has written to North Yorkshire Police's chief constable, Grahame Maxwell, to ask how they will affect the force.

Mr Bayley said: "I am concerned that this may result

in police job losses and undermine the fight against crime, which has been falling in recent years in York and North Yorkshire.

"The police work hard to reduce crime and they need to be properly funded."

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police Authority said it would scrutinise the cost of the force's fleet, premises, supplies and services, and overtime.

Humberside Police has offered voluntary redundancy to 780 staff – about 35 per cent of its civilian workforce – as part of plans to save 15m over five years.

The authority's acting chairman, David Rudd, said: "We are facing some difficult decisions but the public should be reassured that we will not compromise on public safety and we remain focused on the provision of an accessible police service that meets local needs."

ESTIMATED BUDGET CUTS

Police force 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14

Humberside 179.9m 175.3m 173.4m 171.8m

North Yorkshire 139.7m 137.5m 137.2m 137.2m

South Yorkshire 260.2m 252.6m 248.9m 245.6m

West Yorkshire 438.6m 425.9m 419.8m 414.3m