THE region stands to lose just under 1,200 police officers by 2015 as a result of financial austerity measures, it can be revealed today.

Meanwhile, 257 full-time equivalent officers have already been cut from police forces in the North- East and North Yorkshire in the past 12 months.

The headline figures were contained in a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) – comparing March last year and March 2015 – and a separate release from the Home Office.

Nationally, 16,200 police officer posts will go by 2015 along with 16,100 police staff.

Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said police forces will struggle to keep their heads above water as they try to deal with increasing demands and diminishing resources.

The HMIC report, which follows inspections of every force in England and Wales in the spring, shines a light on how individual forces are attempting to tackle the huge cash deficits they are facing over the next four years.

It said Durham Police had made an early start in addressing the £24m cash reduction to its budget which had “placed them in a strong position to deliver the required savings and manage the associated risks”.

The force had already started making savings before 2011-12, via voluntary and compulsory redundancy programmes for police staff and had now moved to developing a new operating model, which aimed to ensure effective policing with reduced resources.

It also froze police recruitment in 2009. Deputy Chief Constable Mike Barton said: “I’m extremely proud that our measures to preserve frontline services and improve performance at a time of financial constraint have been recognised nationally.”

Inspectors said neighbouring Cleveland, which is facing a £23.1m cash reduction to its budget over the next four years, had entered into an “innovative” arrangement with private firm Steria last year to outsource call handling and administration jobs, potentially saving £50m over ten years. However the report said that “overarching”

programme management was still required to ensure that its overall plan to make savings was on track.

Peter Race, chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, said its cash reduction since the HMIC inspection had increased to £24.6m.

Mr Race said it believed the minimum number of officers required by the force to maintain frontline services was 1,500. Currently it has 1,655 officers.

He said: “As the cuts start to become increasingly severe over the next few years, maintaining that level will be tough.”

North Yorkshire Police, a force grappling with a £28.4m reduction to its budget over the period between 2011-12 and 2014-15, plans to realise all the required savings in the first two years of that period.

In February, it identified 313 police staff posts to be cut, although compulsory redundancies have been limited to 25.

Inspectors said plans to meet the financial challenge needed to be developed further. Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell said: “With a strong programme of change in place, every facet of the organisation has been reviewed to ensure the greatest level of efficiency is achieved, whilst continuing to deliver the best possible policing service and protecting the front line.”

Inspectors warned Northumbria Police that substantial savings from further staff reductions were needed if the force was to balance its budget.

HMIC also said it was concerned that the force’s efforts to tackle its £67m cash reduction relied on a significant rise in council tax precept in order to maintain frontline officer numbers.