Devon and Cornwall Police to cut 125 civilian posts

Police said they were dealing with with the biggest budget cuts for a generation

Up to 125 more jobs are to go at Devon and Cornwall Police.

The jobs will be lost among civilian support staff and are on top of 375 post closures the force has already announced.

The force has said the 500 posts will go over the next four years, in which time it needs to make savings of £47m.

It said it could not say exactly what positions were affected but said its budget was under even more pressure than had been thought.

'Heaping pain'

Previously it said it would cut backroom staff and close enquiry offices at some police stations.

Karen Williams of the Unison union said the latest cuts were "heaping pain upon original pain of members".

She added: "Our concern is not only for our members, but for the community as a whole because there's going to be an even further reduced service to prevent and detect crime."

Deputy Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said the force had to "deal with the biggest budget cuts for a generation".

He said: "Over the past few months the force has been working hard to ensure it can achieve the savings needed following the government's announcement of huge budget cuts to all local authorities and public sector bodies.

"We will continue to monitor the situation, consult with unions and ensure that we provide our staff with ongoing support through this period of uncertainty."