Cambridgeshire Police will receive £1.2million less than expected from the government in 2014/5.

The five per cent reduction in their police grant is significantly more than the 3.3 per cent decrease they had budgeted for in the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), which is Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner’s key financial planning document.

In order to cope with this loss, Sir Graham Bright is proposing a 7 pence per week increase in the policing precept of council tax, which he says would help protect frontline services.

Sir Graham said: “We already have one of the lowest cost and most productive police workforces in the country with the highest percentage of officers on frontline duties.

“Despite having already made savings of £4.9m within the current year, we have managed to increase the number of police officers working on local policing from 989 at the start of the year to 998 at the start of this coming year.

“I’ve been listening to what the public have told me. They want to see officers out and about in their communities, keeping them safe. “Protecting the frontline is priority for me and I have always said that.

“I needed to listen to what people have told me, balancing their expectations of police visibility with affordability of tax increases.

“My budget is on the basis that I have listened to what people have told me, balancing their expectations of feet on the street with

affordability of tax increases.”