A WAR of words has broken out over a massive deficit in police finances.

Cleveland Police Authority chairman Ken Walker has warned that there is likely to be a £1.8m shortfall in finances next year.

Council leaders David Walsh, of Redcar and Cleveland Council, and Bob Gibson, of Stockton Council, have criticised the police authority.

Coun Gibson said there was 'no excuse' for the shortfall after the police had received an extra £2.4m from Cleveland council tax payers earlier this year.

He said: "Within six months of setting a budget of 38 per cent increase, the Cleveland Police Authority are now telling us that there is a £1.8m deficit.

"I find this statement absolutely astounding. What on earth do these people think they are doing? There is absolutely no excuse for this.

"Six months ago I wrote and asked David Blunkett to set up an independent enquiry into the running of Cleveland Police's finances and was told it wasn't necessary.

"Yet here we are with chairman of the authority, Ken Walker, with the begging bowl out and warning us to expect precept rises on a par with last year. It simply beggars belief. The sooner someone rescues the rate payers from this the better."

Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council David Walsh said he would back the police authority with any representations to the Home Office to request more money. But he added that the authority should make internal savings, possibly by cutting the cost of senior management, ceding jobs to civilian workers and bringing in other public and private sector bodies.

He also asked if there had been a full implementation of previous cost-cutting recommendations.

However Coun Walker hit back, stating that the Cleveland Police Authority had already made £500,000 of efficiency savings.

While welcoming Coun Walsh's promise to back representations to the Government, he blamed the spiralling costs on the way police pensions are funded.

He said: "Coun Gibson's ill-considered remarks at this stage may grab the headlines, but they do nothing to help the situation on behalf of council tax payers in Cleveland."