Avon and Somerset Police face 'double whammy' in cuts

Sue Mountstevens has said the force will have to change the way it works due to funding cuts

Avon and Somerset police is facing a "double whammy" of cuts equivalent to 800 police officer posts being lost, the police commissioner has said.

Sue Mountstevens has said changes to the police funding formula will mean a £15m cut, equivalent to 300 posts.

She added the upcoming spending review could see further cuts of up to 40% to non ring-fenced departments.

She added: "So it is 25 to 40% we are looking at and that could be another 500 officers."

'Balanced budget'

The police force currently has 2,700 officers, and has shed 400 police officers over the past four years.

Although it is illegal to make police officers redundant, the cuts are made when posts are not filled when police officers retire or leave the force.

Another way is through making redundancies to back-office posts filled by civilians rather than police officers.

Police and crime commissioner Ms Mounstevens added: "I think we have to police differently - once we've had the decisions the government will make at Christmas we will go out to consultation and ask the public what they want the police to do.

"We are going to be a smaller work force, we are going to have fewer officers."

She said back office staff were part of the team and were "essential as those on the frontline".

"We are all at risk as we're going to have to challenge the way that we work with fewer officers and fewer staff - it's very clear.

"I have to produce a balanced budget as that is my job," she added.

She said the force had already started working more closely with neighbouring forces to share legal, finance and HR staff to cut running costs.