Extra £100m funding announced as police warn of cuts

The new money announced by the Home Office is understood to come from efficiencies identified within the department.

But senior police sources have criticised the lack of detail in the government’s plans and are questioning whether the money will go into plugging existing gaps rather than recruiting extra officers.

Speaking to the BBC, a senior police source said that forces had not had any details as to how they could spend the first £100m announced in December.

He asked whether the money was for new PCs or PCSOs, whether it could be used to plug existing funding gaps, and how items like uniforms and cars would be paid for.

PCSOs are paid employees but only share some of the powers that police officers have.

They can hand out fixed-penalty notices and take alcohol from a person under the age of 18, but must ask a police officer to arrest someone.