A POLICE force has begun consultations with its civilian staff over redundancies.

Officials at North Yorkshire Police have started the 90-day consultation about compulsory redundancies with back office staff, who were previously asked to consider voluntary redundancies.

The force must save £9m to £11m over the next two years following the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

It estimates it faces a gap in funding of more than £19m by 2014-15.

The consultation began on January 1 and will initially focus on talks with Unison union representatives, before discussions begin with staff over how the proposed changes will affect individuals and units.

The force confirmed last month that it was looking to lose about 200 police officers and about 350 support staff – one in four of its civilian employees and one in eight police officers.

It is looking to reduce the number of officers over the next four years by use of Regulation A19 of the Police Pensions Regulation Act.

It means officers up to chief superintendent rank must retire after achieving 30 years of pensionable service.

Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell, who is leading the consultation, said: “The decision to make hard-working and dedicated members of police staff redundant is one that I had never wished to make.

“It certainly is not one that has been taken lightly.

“However, along with every other public sector organisation in the country, we find ourselves in unprecedented financial circumstances which has left us no option but to reduce staffing levels as part of our wider plan to balance the budget come 2014-15.

“I am confident that the plan of action we have put in place will achieve our number one priority. That is to provide a high-quality policing service.”

John Mackfall, a Unison representative at the force, said the union aimed to work with the force to avoid compulsory redundancies.

He said: “Where possible, we will try to redeploy staff to different positions.

“It may be in other cases that there are jobs that have been listed for redundancy that turn out to be essential.”