Row breaks out over Hampshire police funding

Last week home secretary Sajid Javid told MPs Hampshire police will receive £25m extra funding '“ made up of a £3.8m increase from a police grant and £18.2m from increased council tax.

Another £3m will be handed to the force to cover a hike in pension costs.

But Stephen Morgan, Labour MP for Portsmouth South, said: '˜Worryingly, this decision on resources is just a drop in the ocean.

'˜Forces have lost a staggering £2.7bn in real terms thanks to Tory austerity meaning 1,000 less officers in Hampshire and crime up 10 per cent in Portsmouth.

'˜The amount offered to Hampshire means Portsmouth police still losing out in real terms once inflation, cost pressures and other funding pressures are taken into account.'

Hampshire police and crime commissioner Michael Lane is consulting on a £24-a-year hike in the council tax police precept.

Mr Lane said: '˜I am conscious that this shifts more of the burden of paying for the increasing costs of policing to the local council tax payer. It is therefore more important than ever that I hear from council tax payers the level of contribution they would be willing to make through my precept survey.'

He said it will fund recruiting 200 officers and 60 police staff investigators.

See hampshire-pcc.gov.uk/budget