Richard Brunstrom blames UK government handling of finance

Chief constable Richard Brunstrom said the UK government had put "police finance into a really dreadful mess".

Force finance director Tom O'Donnell said it was "desperate" not to reduce front-line policing, and savings were being examined among support staff.

The Home Office said it would discuss any financial concerns with the force.

The news follows expected cuts of �3m next year, on top of �2m this year.

In his weblog on the force website, Mr Brunstrom writes: "We're going to have to downsize, and I have to plan for it.

"The government has got police finance into a really dreadful mess and is seemingly in complete denial.

"We're going to have to take the consequences - and so are you. Still, nil desperandum."

'Improving efficiency'

Mr O'Donnell said the financial situation "requires action now to ensure we live within the resources being made available".

He went on: "We will look for all means of improving efficiency but this is a great disappointment to us and our staff who have worked so hard to turn North Wales Police into one of the best performing forces in England and Wales.

"We are desperate not to impact on front-line policing. This inevitably means that we have to look for savings within the support staff budget.

"We are consulting with staff associations as we proceed."

Ian Roberts, chair of North Wales Police Authority, said any initial cuts of support staff could have an impact on neighbourhood policing.

He said: "The first ones are the backroom staff. It shouldn't be them, they are the people who are doing a lot of the work inside to make sure that we have got people on the ground.

"If we take them from inside we have to fill those sort of jobs and they will come from outside and will have to come from neighbourhood policing."

Mr Roberts added that any cut in neighbourhood officers could see an increase in crime.

He said: "That seems to be a no-brainer. If we haven't got police on the ground that's what is going to happen."

'Huge bills'

Politicians in north Wales blamed the UK government for the job losses.

Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru MP for Caernarfon, said: "I am outraged that the Home Office doesn't go further to help police forces pay the huge bills incurred in the police merger plans.

"It was the Government's idea to create these 'super forces' while the existing forces and independent bodies were against it all along."

David Jones, Conservative MP for Clwyd West, said there had been no recruitment of police officers for 12 months and it was inevitable that front line officers would be taken off the streets to do the jobs previously done by civilians.

In a statement, a Home Office spokesperson said: "We will discuss any financial concerns North Wales Police have with them directly."