Police will mass at Westminster to lobby MPs

He has sent a letter to every chief constable and their area commanders expressing his disappointment at the ballot result.

In it, he called the proposals a "very good deal" and said that it would give senior officers the reforms they had told the government they wanted.

Mr Blunkett has clashed repeatedly in recent weeks with senior officers who have accused him of being a bully and attacked the government for spreading negative stories about officers.

Fred Broughton, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the "politically drip-fed smear stories" had angered officers.

"Plans to worsen pay for a group of public servants who regularly put their lives on the line and proposals to give non-police personnel powers to stop, detain and use 'reasonable force' against the public, have culminated in officers wanting to visibly display their frustration," he said .

Officers 'angry'

The rally will allow rank-and-file officers to "register their anger" , he added.

It was organised after a meeting between the two sides on Monday.

The federation says the government rejected its 12% productivity claim and it, in turn, rejected the government's pay proposals.

A Home Office spokeswoman, however, said that both sides had agreed to go to conciliation.

"Pointing out variations in police performance does not amount to smearing the police," she said.

"The public, wherever they live, deserve a police service that matches the best. This is a promise, not a threat."

Police officers are prohibited by law from going on strike.

Under current regulations, they can also be legally compelled to work overtime with no warning, irrespective of domestic, social or holiday arrangements.