Acpo says police are increasingly taking on new duties

In its annual overview, the Association of Chief Police Officers said it may have to cut the numbers of frontline officers because of a lack of funding.

It said a funding increase of nearly 6% was needed next year to maintain current officer numbers, but that forces may receive only a 3% rise.

The Home Office said the budget for next year was still being considered.

Acpo said part of the problem was that forces now had extra responsibilities and tackled more sophisticated crime, such as computer fraud.

And experts in fields like forensics can often earn more money working for industry rather than constabularies, it added.

Acpo's National Strategic Assessment, which highlights major policing issues, warned: "The police service wants to avoid any reduction in frontline policing, but this is a real possibility."

Priority

Acpo and the Association of Police Authorities visited the Houses of Parliament to lobby MPs on the funding issue last month.

The document also said burglary remained a priority area for most police forces, along with anti-social behaviour, class A drugs, counter-terrorism, roads policing, vehicle crime and violent crime.

But it said: "Several police forces suggest that second-hand goods are becoming less saleable, as people prefer to buy new goods, hence the overall reduction in house burglary.

"This trend may correlate with incidents of shoplifting and theft of lorry loads to obtain new and unused goods which can be more readily disposed of."

In 2003-4, burglaries fell by 8% in England and Wales, by 10% in Scotland and by 11.7% in Northern Ireland.