POLICE forces across the region are coping well with spending cuts, according to a watchdog report.

But the report highlights concerns that North Yorkshire Police has yet to properly plan for the next round of savings and faces a bigger challenge than most because the amount it spends on policing is already lower than other forces.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary today (July 19) published its 'Valuing The Police' report which found that North Yorkshire, Durham and Cleveland forces had all made "good progress" in meeting the financial challenge of dealing with cuts, while Northumbria Police had made "very good progress".

But it also found the region’s four forces would end up with 1,290 fewer police officers in 2015 than they had in 2011.

The report said North Yorkshire Police needs to make £16.1m of savings over the four years of the 2011-15 spending review and had already planned how to save £11.6m of the total.

The force will have 116 fewer officers over the life of the spending review period, although inspectors said frontline posts were being successfully protected.

However, it went on: "North Yorkshire Police’s challenge is harder because the amount of money it spends on policing is already lower than most other forces, it has fewer police officers per head, and the amount it spends on each officer is also lower than most other forces.

"This means that the force faces a bigger challenge because it has less scope to make savings than most other forces".

Roger Baker, HM Inspector of Constabulary for the Northern Region, said: "While job cuts are inevitable given the size of the budget cuts, the force has protected as far as possible frontline policing, with fewer police officer reductions than most other forces.

"However, HMIC is concerned that there are still some savings to find before 2015 and then the likelihood of further cuts in spending after 2015. North Yorkshire Police has not yet started to properly assess and plan for the next round of cuts."

North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan said she was confident the force was in a strong position and had shown it was possible to deliver more efficient policing with consistently high levels of service.

She added: "We are currently working through ways to achieve the fresh savings announced by the Government. And as HMIC says, this will not be easy.

"However, there are some real opportunities to deliver services differently; to collaborate with other police forces and to innovate with public sector colleagues such as Fire and Rescue and local authorities."

The report found that Durham Constabulary needed to make £22.2m savings over the same spending review period and had already identified all but £500,000 of them.

It said Durham would end the period with 206 fewer officers than it started and, although frontline officers were again being successfully protected, the 14 per cent reduction was greater than most other forces.

Cleveland Police was expected to make £28.1m in cuts over the period and had found all but £500,000, while also protecting frontline posts. However, there will be 325 fewer officers over the review period.

Northumbria Police has already identified £78m of the £85.1m savings it needs to make over the lifetime of the review at a cost of 643 fewer officers.