POLICING minister Mike Penning has claimed forces should be doing more with less and suggested the number of police officers is not crucial.

Mike Penning was responding to a letter from Colchester Council amid concerns about police cuts.

The consequences of the latest comprehensive spending review will be revealed by the Government on Wednesday.

Essex Police has already lost 600 officers in five years and is set to lose hundreds more by 2020.

The majority of PCSOs are due to go by April along with most of the police stations and buildings in Essex.

Colchester Council sent a letter to Home Secretary Teresa May outlining its concerns after a statement was agreed.

It stated: “This Council notes Essex Police is now taking on average 114 days to investigate crime which is one of the highest figures in the UK.

“With the recent announcement that further police cuts are imminent and with the loss of rural and suburban police stations along with up to 500 posts being axed the Council resolves to write to both the Home Secretary and Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex expressing its concerns about the proposed cuts highlighting the potential impact it will have on policing and public safety in Colchester.”

Mr Penning wrote: “There is no question the police still have the resources to do their important work.

“What matters is how officers are deployed, not how many of them there are in total.

“Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have demonstrated that, with reform, it is possible to do more with less and forces have increased the proportion of officers working on the front line.”

In contrast Police and Crime Commissioner Nick Alston has described the situation as “perilous” even before the latest round of cuts and Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh said they are facing the most difficult policing challenge since the Second World War.

The comments are also expected to anger the Essex Police Federation.

Chairman Mark Smith has repeatedly criticised those who claim police officers can do “more with less” claiming everybody knows you obviously get less with less during their Cuts have Consequences campaign.

Mr Penning claimed they had made policing easier by “cutting red tape” and “scrapping unnecessary targets”.

Essex Police passed responsibility for 98 per cent of antisocial behaviour to councils earlier this year.

Mr Alston has warned people the days of bobbies on the beat are over.

And Mr Kavanagh has told the public the force will have to focus on those at risk of most harm and will not be able to respond to everything they would have in the past.

The force will be told what level of cuts it has to make, following the third comprehensive spending review in five years, this year with final figures expected by mid December.