AN announcement in the Chancellor's autumn statement that police budgets will be protected has been welcomed by Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire.

Policing is not a ringfenced budget and officers had been braced for cuts of up to 20 per cent.

George Osborne said: "I am today announcing that there will be no cuts in the police budget at all, there will be real terms protection for police funding.

"Mr Speaker, the police protect us and we are going to protect the police."

Angus Macpherson, PCC for Wiltshire, welcomed the news saying he was "delighted" the Chancellor has recognised that this is "not the right to seek further saving".

He said: "We now spend £5m less on policing Wiltshire and Swindon than we did in 2010. In that time costs have gone up with inflation, so the real cut has been considerably more.

"I was also very pleased that George Osborne has said the Government intends to give Commissioners greater flexibility to raise money locally through what we call the precept, or the police element of council tax. Historically our Force has been under-funded and I will be looking carefully at the level of funding I need to protect community policing.

"I will also continue lobbying for a fairer share of national funding. I began the campaign to address the historic unfair funding of our Force in the summer and with the unanimous support of our local MPs I will continue to press the case.

"Meanwhile it is business as usual for us. We will continue to seek ways of operating more efficiently and effectively. This will include working closely with our council partners, and with the other South West police forces."