Police teams will be trimmed and victims of crime making non-emergency calls will have to make appointments to see officers under a radical shake-up outlined by West Midlands Police today.

Senior officers at the force, which wants to save £125 million over four years and is shedding 2,250 jobs, also say new local investigation teams will be set up in a bid to speed-up crime fighting and keep in touch with victims.

The moves are being piloted in Birmingham and Solihull from June 1, and will be rolled out across the Black Country over the following 18 months.

Force spokeswoman Zoe Lee said: “In future, members of the public making non-emergency calls will be offered policing by appointment, giving them the option to meet with officers at a time and location to suit them.

“An appointment system will mean the public are clear about when the police aim to attend, so they are not left waiting for long periods for an officer to become available.

“Although neighbourhood teams will be smaller, they will also be more visible and remain focused on community engagement and problem solving at a local level, including tackling anti social behaviour.”

She said the steps would see speedier response times to 999 calls and local crime tackled more efficiently.