THE chief of Cleveland has promised more bobbies on the beat as part of a radical shake-up that will see top jobs axed.

Chief constable Sean Price 's three-year plan will halve the number of chief superintendents and superintendents, many of them retiring, with annual savings of £337,000.

Some savings will be used to increase the number of chief inspectors and put about ten extra constables on the streets.

The programme aims to put the force on a firm financial footing by 2008 and involves reducing chief superintendent posts from nine to four and reducing the number of superintendent posts from 20 to ten.

Mr Price said: "Our chief superintendents and superintendents are doing an excellent job. They are not being downgraded or made redundant. This is about using their expertise more effectively in the right structure."

The first changes will be implemented this summer and will see each of the four districts under the command of superintendents instead of chief superintendents. The remaining four chief superintendents will take up senior roles at police headquarters, in Ladgate Lane, Middlesbrough.

Mr Price added: "Cleveland police will be a smaller, less costly organisation over the next three years - but not smaller in police numbers.

"We have the highest number of police officers we have ever had and we will have more frontline officers, allowing us to give an even better service."