EIGHTY jobs are to be axed at Gloucestershire police after the force received an under inflation budget rise from central government.

The lack of money means the Police Authority is proposing a tax increase of five per cent to make up the shortfall.

Cllr Stan Waddington, a member of the Police Authority, warned members of the public at a Police Community Consultative Meeting (PCCM) that the constabulary was facing a serious funding problem and that the only way to supplement the loss of money was to increase tax.

As well as the tax increase, 80 job cuts will be made across the constabulary, of which 20 could be police community support officer positions.

Cllr Waddington said: "We simply cannot pay the increase on consumables, like petrol and diesel, with less money from the government. We are facing a real funding problem.

"There are several options. We could reduce the size of the force considerably, which we do not want to do.

"The other option is that we raise the precept to make up the difference. The proposal from the Police Authority is an increase of 4.99 per cent.

"This will also be supplemented by some money from the Police Authority reserves - around £4 million.

"Even so we will still have to make cuts of around 80 staff. That is not going to be easy, we do not want to reduce the amount of warranted officers so we have so we will have to look at reductions elsewhere."

Chief Inspector Paul Yeatman, of Gloucestershire police, added: "We could lose around 20 PCSOs, because we currently have 178 across the county and we only really need 158.

"However we do not want to lose them, they are an absolutely brilliant new addition to the force."

Inspector Steve Templeton, from Dursley police station, said he hoped the cuts would not affect the Dursley Inspector Neighbourhood Area (INA).

"It will not reduce the amount of warranted officers we have, although if a PCSO leaves they may not replace the post," he said.

Dr Tim Brain, Gloucestershire's Chief Constable, said: "The Police Authority is in the process of finalising its budget and is consulting widely across the county before doing so.

"Various options are being considered and new financial information is still being received from central government.

"The Police Authority is approaching its task in a most thorough manner and we are confident it will do its best for the constabulary and the people of Gloucestershire.

"The government grant this year was not over generous but was equally not as bad as it could have been.There is still much planning to be done before the final calculations are presented."

A final decision on the constabulary budget will be made at a Police Authority meeting on February 12.