Kent Police Face Cuts

1 September 2010, 12:14 | Updated: 1 September 2010, 12:16

Kent Chief Constable Ian Learmonth has written to the county's MPs explaining the scale of the cuts facing the force if funding is cut by 20%.

The final figures won't be known until the Government completes its Comprehensive Spending Review at the end of October. However the Home Office has already warned the police service to prepare to make cuts, and that could mean Kent losing £53m of funding over the next four years.

In a message to staff and officers today the Chief Constable told them this could lead to 1,000 civilian and 500 police posts being cut, but he told them that he hopes the majority of these will come through natural wastage and retirement.