Durham Police says it has 1,700 bobbies on the beat

Durham Chief Constable Paul Garvin says the force has been "short-changed" by the Home Office's grant settlement.

He has ordered internal budgets to be reduced to make up the shortfall, but says it is working to avoid making cuts in frontline officers.

But the Home Office says Durham Police will receive �87.4m for 2005/06, an increase of �3.2m on the previous year.

The force says it will make representations to the government over its financial settlement.

Mr Garvin said: "We are putting all our efforts into keeping bobbies on the beat because we know that is what the public want.

Painful exercise

"It has taken us more than 10 years to raise our strength from 1,350 to more than 1,700 officers and it is an achievement we are very anxious to protect."

He said it had managed to minimise the impact for the next financial year, although it had been a "painful exercise".

The police element of council tax rises for most households across the area for 2005-2006 is set to rise by six pence a week.

The budget, which has been approved by the police authority, has been fixed at �105.4m, an increase of �4.7m on the current year.

Funding increase

Mr Garvin said: "Some high-crime urban forces have been rewarded by the Home Office at the expense of some well-run semi rural forces like Durham where crime has been falling year-on-year.

"Both we and the police authority feel we are being penalised for our past prudent financial management."

The Home Office said Durham Police will benefit from a 3.77% increase in funding, as opposed to the standard 3.75%.

It also said the force would receive additional funds worth an estimated �7.94m, to pay for specialist services, such as the Rural Policing Fund and Community Support Officers.