Police chiefs claim cuts ‘inevitable’ in face of £1.3 billion funding gap

Chief constables have claimed there is a £1.3 billion funding gap for forces in England and Wales over the next two years (Nick Ansell/PA) - (PA Archive)

Police forces are facing “inevitable” cuts with a £1.3 billion shortfall in funding over the next two years, chief constables have warned.

Ministers have set out a provisional 3.5% real-terms increase in funding for forces, with a third of the total £986.9 million package depending on council taxes increasing by £14 for the average Band D house.