Peter Nurse says frontline officers will have to perform clerical duties

Cheshire Police Authority confirmed on Wednesday they face a �2.5m black hole in their budget.

Seventy civilian staff, employed to take 999 calls, are to lose their jobs.

The authority confirmed about 20 uniformed officers will be taken off frontline duties to fill in some of the office jobs left vacant.

Peter Nurse, chairman of Cheshire Police Authority said: "Uniformed officers won't simply be doing clerical jobs. They will be doing jobs they have knowledge of and which their police training will be helpful.

'National problem'

"The budget is tight. It all comes from the fact that we've had an increase in grant from the government of only 3.9% and of course they have capped our council tax at 5%, so we are having to make major reductions."

In a statement the Home Office said: "This is one of the best funding settlements for the police in recent years and with judicious planning, police authorities should be able to maintain services."

However, Mr Nurse disagreed: " I know that Merseyside and Lancashire and many other police authorities are in the same difficulties that we are. It is a national problem."