"Chief officers fully appreciate how strongly staff feel about the budget cuts to policing and the changes to their pay and pensions. Forces have had to make painful decisions to reduce the number of staff and make major changes to produce the required savings. The Winsor report on pay and conditions has made some radical proposals but much of this is still subject to negotiation. It is crucial that the outcome is fair and recognises the unique demands of policing and the need to recruit and develop high quality staff.

"Every chief officer I speak to is determined to support their staff. To do that we will continue to work with the government to add our professional voice, on behalf of all in the service, to the debates that will shape the future of British policing. And we will continue to take the hard choices we believe are necessary to lead the police service through the financial, operational and social changes which it faces.

"Those who join policing are motivated by their passion to keep people safe and serve communities. I have every confidence that the service will not lose sight of that continued commitment."