Police to axe 'Dixon of Dock Green' services, says West Yorkshire chief

West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison said senior officers are striving to absorb funding shortfalls without damaging the frontline.

But he admitted forces will have to prioritise essential work and that could mean some "nice to have" services face the axe.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with Home Office officials, Sir Norman said police may have to turn down everyday requests for help.

He said: "We will have to prioritise and some of that prioritisation might leave some of the 'nice to haves' as not being delivered any more."

Asked what might be cut, he added: "I am thinking of the level of cats stuck up trees or people who might need the help of police to get into vehicles or houses where they have locked themselves out.

"It sounds a bit Dixon of Dock Green but there is still an awful lot of what might be called public service that police do.

"What we have got to do is make a judgement not on the type of call but the vulnerability of the caller. Our stock and trade is risk and harm and striking the balance."

Senior officers warned national resilience must not be damaged by potential cuts in police numbers as the Government reins in public spending.

Sir Norman said the "police mission" has become "wider and more complex" in recent years and many want to see it redefined.

He said leaders are constrained by strict regulations on how they manage their staff and have asked the Government to relax them in a bid to increase flexibility and save cash.

Asked what changes the public will notice, Sir Norman said: "The hope, the challenge, is that they do not notice.

"The chances of being a victim of crime are at a level unprecedented in the last 20 years, an unprecedented low.

"Therefore what people see of their police service tends not to be a person that comes and takes a crime report.

"It is the uniformed presence or meeting a PCSO that is the visible and accessible familiar face of policing these days.

"The challenge is maintaining that so the public feel reassured while delivering all the other stuff we do in a more cost effective and frankly cheaper way."