Officials warn front line services are threatened

The problem has been caused by a large increase in the number of officers retiring and claiming their pensions.

The force is asking the government to either give it the shortfall or let it pass the cost on to the taxpayer.

If it cannot find extra money through these sources, the police authority has warned its front line services that are likely to suffer.

The amount is just too much to go ahead with our present services at our present level Michael Kennedy, Lincolnshire Police Authority

The problem has come about because officers recruited during a major recruitment drive 25 to 30 years ago have come to the end of their careers.

This has now left Lincolnshire Police facing an increase in pension costs of around 30%, or �4m.

While the government is planning measures to deal with this in the long term, individual forces are currently having to face the costs themselves.

Chairman of Lincolnshire Police Authority, Michael Kennedy, said: "Inevitably it will mean services are affected - the amount is just too much to got ahead with our present services at our present level.

"We would have to go to the people of Lincolnshire and increase our precept but this is being controlled, restricted to a 5% increase, commonly called capping, which leaves us nowhere to turn."