Cutbacks threat to 100 front-line police

The news comes as the Home Office is about to announce the biggest shake-up of the service in more than 30 years, with plans to slash the number of forces in England and Wales by a third.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke wants to cut the number of forces from 43 to fewer than 30, and those classed as rural and small are in his sights.

The Northern Echo understands that neither the Durham nor Cleveland forces are on a list of potential targets for the first phase, but it is feared they could be included in a second round of mergers.

Although force chiefs in the region say they have received no firm indication they will be included in the plan, they insist they would oppose any such move.

The uncertainty was compounded last night when Durham Police warned that cuts in the number of officers might have to be made because of budget difficulties.

The force said more than 100 officer posts could be left unfilled if Government cuts go ahead over the next two years.

Letters outlining the difficulties have also been sent to the county's seven Labour MPs, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose Sedgefield constituency is covered by the force.

County Durham has a record number of officers on the beat - more than 1,700 - and is recognised as one of the best-performing forces in Britain after year-on-year falls in recorded crime.

Deputy Chief Constable Jon Stoddart said: "The tragedy of the economic pressures facing us is that we are literally the victim of our own success.

"Over the last decade, we have, through over 600 efficiency initiatives, generated more than £12m in savings and budget reductions.

"And we have had for many years, and continue to have, the lowest council tax precept of the non-metropolitan forces in England and Wales."

The Durham force has been told it will need to make savings of at least £6m over the next two years because of the way the Government funds police forces.

"Eighty-five per cent of our annual budget goes on staff," Mr Stoddart said.

"If we are forced to further squeeze finances, cutting the number of front-line officers is a possibility we may not be able to avoid."

A delegation headed by Durham Police Authority chairwoman Anne Wright, and Chief Constable Paul Garvin, has visited London to lobby County Durham MPs to fight for more funding.

Mrs Wright said that while the Government's capping formula did apply to all police authorities, it unfairly penalised those like Durham, which exercised care with spending.

She said: "Things are becoming critical in terms of the authority's ability to plan budgets sensibly."

North Durham MP Kevan Jones said that, under current funding criteria, Durham was "at a significant disadvantage" compared with other forces.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Cleveland Police Authority, Dave McKluckie, last night warned he would be resisting "in the strongest possible way" any move to abolish his force.

Chief constables and police authority leaders from around the country will discuss the proposals with Mr Clarke and other Home Office ministers next Monday.

Councillor McKluckie said: "There is clearly an agenda out there to merge forces and we are not happy about this at all.

"Personally, I would resist it, and that is the feeling shared by the authority. I don't think big is necessarily good.

"I think we are a good force, and I believe we can be an excellent force within three years."

A Durham Police spokesman said: "We are aware of stories which have appeared in the media concerning the proposed restructuring of police forces.

"There is a report along these lines with the Home Office, but as we have not seen it, we cannot comment directly on what is, at the moment, pure speculation.

"However, there are no plans that we are aware of involving any of the three North-East forces being involved in amalgamations."

Mr Clarke will publish the report next week. It outlines the first restructuring of police forces since the 1974 reorganisation of local government.