Leicestershire police told to make further budget cuts
- Published
Leicestershire police will have to make more than £19m of savings over the next four years following cuts to the force's government grant.
The money is in addition to £15m of cuts next year and union Unison has warned it could mean redundancies on top of 100 already made.
Monday's grant announcement means Leicestershire's police will have to save an extra £19.4m by 2014/15.
The force began a recruitment freeze in October 2009 in a bid to cut costs.
'Further burden'
Chief Constable of Leicestershire police Simon Cole said: "Undoubtedly this settlement presents us with some difficult challenges.
"However we know from the work already undertaken that some of these savings can be achieved through normal turnover of staff, continuing the freeze on police officer recruitment and by making further savings in other areas of our business."
Unison branch secretary Chris Hanrahan, who represents civilian staff working at the force, said the union had been expecting further cuts and predicted civilian staff and police officer jobs could be lost on top of 100 staff already made redundant.
He said: "It's going to put a further burden on the police service in Leicestershire."