Surrey police chiefs forego performance bonuses

Chief Constable Mark Rowley and three senior officers will forego bonuses

Senior police officers in Surrey will forego their performance bonuses as the force undergoes a series of cost-cutting measures.

Surrey Police has been ordered to cut its wage bill after the government said funding would fall by 20% over the next four years.

Surrey Police Authority can offer a bonus of up to 15% of salary if senior officers meet performance targets.

Chief Constable Mark Rowley and three chief officers will forego bonuses.

Chief Constable Rowley will tell a meeting of Surrey Police Authority on Friday he made the decision "to be consistent with austerity measures currently being applied".

Station closures

Peter Williams, who chairs Surrey Police Authority, said the force had "excellent leaders".

He said: "I welcome their decision to turn down the quite substantial bonuses to which they are entitled."

The force said it was taking a "series of radical measures" to protect front-line policing.

A spokesman said it was one of the only forces in the country still recruiting police officers.

In November, it became the first force in England to make some officers with more than 30 years' service retire in a bid to cut costs.

The force is also proposing to close police stations at Godalming, Cranleigh, Farnham and Haslemere as part of a county-wide review.

It said savings from 20 station closures across the county would enable the force to recruit up to 200 extra constables.