200 Midland police jobs vacant for a year

The full extent of cuts being made by Midland police forces became clearer today as it emerged at least 200 posts had been left vacant for nearly a year.

West Midlands and West Mercia forces said positions were unfilled as they battled to make a combined £160 million in savings.

In the West Midlands, 89 jobs that were vacant on or before April 1 last year have still not been filled. They include 23 cleaners, two emergency call operators, an intelligence officer and a marketing manager.

In West Mercia, 111 posts were vacant at the time the Express & Star requested the figures under the Freedom of Information Act. They included six response officer posts with a combined salary of £179,580 which have not been filled since April last year.

Four surveillance officer posts and a coroner's officer post also remain vacant.

The total salaries of that force's vacant posts came to £2,504,795.

Staffordshire Police, which is trying to save £39m by 2015, said it could not provide figures as the shake-up of the force has not been finalised.

Carl Bird, from West Midlands Police, which is trying to save £125m, said: "The force currently has a freeze on recruitment and due to restructuring and the streamlining of tasks, many of these posts will have functions that are now carried out by other posts.

"The figures do not indicate that the tasks applicable to the roles are not currently being undertaken."

West Mercia Police said the force, which needs to make £34m savings over five years, would inevitably employ fewer officers and staff. The force said it wanted to "minimise the impact upon staff by maximising savings through natural staff turnover and other cost reductions". Last month, a Home Affairs select committee which heard evidence from police chiefs including West Midlands chief constable Chris Sims warned of the need to make "massive reductions" in bureaucracy.

The committee warned: "The loss of posts will have an impact on the range of services that the police provide and the way in which they are provided.

"The primary mission of the police is to prevent crime and disorder. In order to fulfil this mission in the immediate future, police forces will have to cut back on some of the activities that they currently undertake."

"It will clearly be crucial that police forces manage the time of police officers and police staff in the most efficient and effective way possible."