UK police job cuts expected

As many as 40,000 front-line police jobs will be at risk across England and Wales if an expected 25 per cent budget cuts go ahead.



The Police Federation which represents English and Welsh police officers says such a staff reduction would make policing unsustainable.



It also says it was inevitable that crime would go up.



Meanwhile, Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert has called for the Police Federation to avoid what he calls scaremongering.



The cut to the police budget in England and Wales is generally expected to total 25 per cent - in line with other government cutbacks but the exact level will not be known until the current spending review is published in October.



Herbert told the BBC that the Police Federation is simply speculating at this stage.