Lower levels of Government funding and grants are forcing the constabulary to look at how it can slash its budget, which it aims to reduce by £8.8 million by next March.

Measures will include job cuts among officers and community support workers, although the possibility of merging with other police forces - as recommended by Warwickshire's Chief Constable Keith Bristow - has been ruled out.

Speaking at a police authority meeting at Shire Hall in Warwick on Wednesday, deputy chief constable Andy Parker said: "We are trying to deliver the same level of protection or more with 90 per cent of the current budget.

"We are not sure exactly where we will be making savings yet but we will not be cutting back on any areas which are high risk.

"Clearly we don't want to be making savings in key areas which are important in protecting the public."

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Mr Bristow said: "There is a notion that something called 'front line' shouldn't be touched but it just doesn't work like that.

"It's about making sure this works as a whole system of policing. It's all got to work for the benefit of local people."

Dismissing suggestions that he had driven a debate around the issue of whether his force would be merging with others, Mr Bristow said: "My advice has consistently been that we should be pursuing a merger.

"The police authority, taking everything into account, has decided that is not a priority for us now.

"That decision has been made, so as a force we will get on with implementing it."

Each of the force's heads of department will be asked how they can cut ten per cent from their own budgets between now and the end of February so decisions on which areas to make savings can be made.

Proposals are expected to be drawn up by the end of March.