WEST Yorkshire Police must find almost £34 million of savings in the space of 12 months after bigger-than-expected Government cuts, residents were warned last night.

Mark Burns-Williamson, the force’s elected commissioner, hit out at the Home Office for “top-slicing” its budget to pay for other priorities.

And he warned: “These continued and relentless cuts are deep and damaging and go too far.”

The comments came after cash from the shrinking Home Office pot was shifted to counter-terrorism work and to police complaints and inspection procedures.

As a result, West Yorkshire police will receive £319.3m in 2015/16, down from £335.5m this year – a reduction of almost six per cent in real terms.

Mr Burns-Williamson, a Labour police chief, said that meant the force must find £33.8m in savings next year, on top of the £103m already made in the last three years.

There was particular anger over the Home Office’s rejection of a request that it refund £759,000, the cost of policing a demonstration by the far-right English Defence League (EDL).

Mr Burns-Williamson said the top-slicing would cost West Yorkshire more than £1m in 2015/16, adding: “This is much more than anticipated and I feel we are being penalised yet again.

“This money needs to go towards frontline policing to help people feel safe, not Government grants to other organisations.”

And he added: “I will continue to do absolutely everything I can to protect jobs, but the severe level of cuts here already mean difficult decisions will have to be made.”

But Policing Minister Mike Penning denied there was a looming crisis, pointing out that crime had fallen by more than a fifth under the Coalition.

He said: “There is no question police will still have the resources to do their important work.

“Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary recently found that forces are successfully meeting the challenge of balancing their books while protecting the frontline and delivering reductions in crime.”

However, support for the Police and Crime Commissioner’s stance came from Sir Huge Orde, president of the Association Chief Police officers, who also criticised the top-slicing of budgets.

Sir Hugh said “Most forces would prefer that this money was left in their budget to spend where there is most need in their force.”

Overall Government funding to the police will be cut by £299 million - or 4.9 per cent in real terms - in 2015/16, less than the near-six per cent hit to individual forces.

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