PC David Rathband, the North- East police officer who was blinded by Raoul Moat, recently challenged Home Secretary Theresa May over why she believed his £35,000 salary may be too high.

Thousands of police officers have already warned that UK crime levels could soar after proposed 20 per cent cuts in police funding.

Almost 99 per cent of respondents to a Police Federation survey said morale had dropped after warnings of possible cuts.

The Home Secretary defended Government cuts, stating it was “simply not true that the Government was singling out police over the cuts”.

Given that police pay and conditions account for 80 per cent of a force’s spending, what price does this Government actually put on the security of its citizens?

Ken Walker, Middlesbrough.