POLICE chiefs at Norfolk police are to tell MPs that Norfolk’s residents shouldn’t be unfairly disadvantaged by dramatic reductions in the police budget.

MPs have been invited to a special meeting at the Houses of Parliament to hear the views of both organisations ahead of the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

Both the Constabulary and Authority are currently deliberating how they can save up to �35m from the budget in four years – the estimated size of the funding gap following expected government grant cuts.

Norfolk police has already identified �28m of the estimated funding gap mainly through reductions in officers and police staff from a four-year moratorium on recruitment.

This is the equivalent of about 350 police officer posts, 60 PCSO posts and 230 civilian posts.

Although all forces are currently investigating major cost cutting, Norfolk’s position is unique as it has already taken �18million from its budget in the past four years and streamlined its structures and processes during the recent radical modernisation of the Constabulary.