Fears officer numbers will be cut as rocketing energy prices could blow £100million hole in police forces’ budgets

ROCKETING energy prices could blow a £100million black hole in police forces’ annual budgets — raising fears of cuts in officer numbers.

The extra fuel, gas and electricity costs, which could fund 2,000 cops a year, threaten to derail the Government’s pledge to provide an extra 20,000 by next year.

West Midlands Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner Tom McNeil urged ministers to provide emergency funding to help keep recruitment plans on track.

His force, the country’s second largest, reckons its energy bills will soar more than £5million during this year — a 71 per cent rise on the previous 12 months.

West Midlands accounts for five per cent of police spending in England and Wales — meaning extra energy costs for the 43 forces will top £100million.

One officer costs £50,000 in salary, pension, training and equipment, meaning the overall energy bill equates to funding 2,000 cops a year.

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Mr McNeil said West Midlands Police were investing in electric vehicles and renewable energy supplies to try to become the “greenest force in the country”. He said: “Despite this we can’t shield ourselves from the current energy price rises.

“West Midlands Police is still missing 1,000 officers following government cuts in the years since 2010. Sky-high energy bills risk exacerbating that problem further still.”

Latest figures from June show 13,790 of the government’s promised 20,000 officers have been recruited so far, putting England and Wales’ police strength at 142,759.

A loss of experienced officers and detectives has, however, left forces struggling to investigate burglaries, robberies and thefts.

Former Met Police DI Mick Neville said the increase in energy bills illustrated by figures for the West Midlands could raise the threat of staff cuts to save money.

He said the answer was to slash heating and lighting bills by getting more cops out of offices and on to the streets.

He said: “That would be a win-win situation and something the public want.”