Police forces in England and Wales received a �1.575bn crime-fighting boost from the spending review.

By 2003-4 spending on police will have risen to �9.29bn, an increase of 20.4%.

Home Secretary Jack Straw will announce to the Commons on Wednesday details of how the money will be divided up.

Most of it is expected to be spent on boosting police numbers, as Mr Straw has come under repeated attack from the Tories for falling police numbers and a rise in violent crime.

New secure radio systems for officers and more DNA technology are also thought to be high on the Home Office shopping list.

Home Office funding increase

The rise in police funding is accompanied by an overall increase in Home Office funds of �2.4bn over the next three years.

Mr Brown said that spending on the Home Office would increase from �8.2bn, to �9.6bn next year, to �10.3bn in 2002 and �10.6bn in 2003/4.

Within this, the government has earmarked �316m over the next three years to pay for the modernisation of policing and criminal justice in Northern Ireland under the Good Friday Agreement.

The anti-drugs budget will also rise to �966m by 2004, an annual growth of 10%, to tackle drug-related re-offending.