The police budget in the county is �173m a year

The cuts will mean a delay in the hiring of extra community support officers, the police authority said.

John Clarke, authority chair, said: "The frustrating thing is a few months ago we received nearly �1m for operations and other major crime work."

He said it seemed to be a case of "giving with one hand, but taking away with the other".

The government is using new population census figures to calculate grants.

Met vs Shire

"We will get an amended total of funding by the end of the year - it's a very complicated set-up how they fund authorities," Mr Clarke said.

"They seem to be taking from the Shire police authorities and giving to the Metropolitan ones."

Nottinghamshire Police has an annual budget of �173m, but it will receive �1m less in grants from the government next year.

The change is a result of new population figures supplied to the government from local authorities.

The force had planned to add an additional 78 police community support officers in 2006, but those plans may change, Mr Clarke said.