Budget cap will cost 50 police jobs

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Surrey police chiefs launched an angry attack on ministers, saying their second budget cap in two years will undermine services when crime is predicted to intensify.

The region's police authority chairman Peter Williams and chief constable Mark Rowley both vowed to fight the decision, branding it "irrational, unreasonable and indefensible".

In a letter to local government minister John Healey and policing minister Vernon Coaker, Mr Rowley said the departure of 50 operational employees will include 35 police officers.

"These cuts will undermine the resilience of the policing service Surrey residents currently have, and will result in officers being pulled away from other visible frontline duties to fulfil these specialist roles," he said.

London criminals were now "avoiding the better-resourced Met" to cross the border into Surrey to commit crime, claimed Mr Rowley.

He added: "I have a responsibility to keep Surrey citizens safe. A reduction in our budget every year can only result in an erosion of the level of service that Surrey Police will be able to provide."

Homes in the county are receiving new council tax bills after the Government decision. But it will cost ministers £1.2 million to recoup the £1.6 million saving.

The force, which is one of two forces to face the measures, was allowed to keep the £191.5 million budget it set for 2008/09, but was told then it must not exceed £189.6 million, plus 5%, for 2009/10.

Mr Williams said the decision was bad business. He said: "The Government's nonsensical decision to force us to cut 50 frontline posts and to spend £1.2 million in administrative costs to return six pence a week to each household appears to be a total waste of public money and extremely unwise, given the Government's own predictions of an increased demand on our services as we meet a likely rise in crime linked to the recession."