Police officer numbers fall by 2,500

The number of police officers in England and Wales fell by more than 2,500 last year, the first significant fall for at least six years, figures showed yesterday.

By The Newsroom

Published 28th Jan 2011, 09:21 BST

Updated 28th Jan 2011, 09:22 BST

There were 142,363 officers on September 30, a drop of 1.7 per cent compared with the previous year, the Home Office figures showed.

The fall in numbers comes amid fears of further job losses over the next four years as the police grants are cut by 20 per cent under the Government's spending review.

The numbers of police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were both down, but the number of special constables – volunteers – rose 15.5 per cent to 16,772, the figures showed.

But despite the falls, which saw PCSO numbers drop 2.6 per cent to 16,376, there were still 566 more police officers in September last year than three years ago.

Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert said: "Having reached record numbers in the police workforce, forces can and must make savings, prioritising the front line and prioritising visible policing."