Senior officers have warned average council tax bills could rise by up to �100 a year if they do not get an increase in funding.

The force said it wanted at least an extra �7m next year to help sustain and improve its current service.

Officers have blamed an unfair funding system and last year were supported by a �3.4m grant from the Home Office.

Now the cupboard is bare Angela Crowe, Lincolnshire Police Authority

They said Lincolnshire had the lowest funding of any in England and was a victim of its own success in tackling crime.

But the deficit could grow to �14m by 2010 if action is not taken.

More than 350 redundancies had been considered among civilian staff but the force was told this would take too many officers off front line duties.

Chf Cons Tony Lake said they had tried to cope for as long as possible but the situation had come to a head.

"We have a job to protect the public and we are very conscious of that.

"But the situation just doesn't bear thinking about unless we get a rapid resolution to this problem."

Angela Crowe, chairman of the police authority, said: "Most other forces have been using money from efficiency savings to invest in services.

"Lincolnshire have been using these just to keep going but now the cupboard is bare."