Fred Broughton, chairman of the Police Federation, said most rank-and-file officers backed the deal but "significant number" did not.

There are a significant number of police officers who reject this offer and are very angry

Fred Broughton Police Federation

The federation on Thursday ratified an agreement with the Home Office which will see officers' basic wages in return for a 15% cut in overtime payments over the next three years.

That could produce some backlash at the Police Federation's annual conference in Bournemouth next week.

Anger

Mr Broughton forecast a "tough session" when Home Secretary David Blunkett addresses the conference on Wednesday.

"There are a significant number of police officers who reject this offer, are very angry and do not trust that it will be implemented," he told a media conference on Friday.

The Home Office needed to use the conference to reassure officers it would stick to the deal as it has told the federation it will.

"Otherwise this matter will disintegrate very quickly," said Mr Broughton.

David Blunkett is facing a rough ride next week

The federation's decision to accept the Home Office offer cannot be overturned at the conference.

But officers may vent their frustration through in a debate on whether the federation should consider trying to remove the ban on police officers taking industrial action.

The pay agreement was ratified after a survey of the federation's 126,000 members.

Mr Broughton would not reveal the details of that poll, but said 32 of the 42 forces in England and Wales had backed the pay offer.

That showed a "significant change" since an overwhelming majority of officers rejected the government's original pay offer in February.

The federation has hailed the deal as a triumph for rank-and-file officers.

It says the offer meets their five targets, including protecting premium overtime and ensuring every police officer is financially better off.

'Mischief and misinformation'

But the government will also be pleased the issue has been settled as continued dispute threatened its plans for police reform.

Bitterness remains, however, with Mr Broughton accusing the Home Office of "mischief" and misinformation over the offer, as well as political interference in the conciliation process.

He branded the talks as the most difficult period of negotiations the police service had ever faced.

At his pre-conference media conference, Mr Broughton also raised the issue of low police morale.

The police service was in a "very fragile" state, he said, with officers angry about the way the police had been portrayed in recent years.